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Five Years of Lifesaving. One Story That Says It All.

Five years ago, Hamilton County chose compassion when Cincinnati Animal CARE was selected to manage animal services.

When we opened our doors on August 1, 2020, we made a promise to be a no-kill shelter that would give every animal a chance at a loving home. And since then, that promise has saved more than 35,000 lives.

Earlier this year, one of those lives reminded us why that promise matters every single day. Her name is Applebutter.

One late September morning, staff arrived to find a dog tied to our fence. Sadly, this is not an uncommon occurrence, but this time, it was URGENT.

Blood was trickling from her chest, and she was clearly in distress. Applebutter had been shot. Terrified, in pain, and clinging to life, she was rushed into emergency care. In a desperate attempt to save her, our team performed an emergency autotransfusion, a medical procedure where a patient's own blood is collected, processed, and then transfused back into the body. She stabilized enough to be placed in our new ICU unit (a lifesaving resource made possible by generous gifts) to regain her body temperature.

Spending nearly a month under veterinary care, Applebutter worked to regain her strength and heal. During this time, her spunky, silly personality started to shine through, and she quickly became a shelter favorite. A month later, she was finally cleared for adoption, with a list of interested families a mile long.

Applebutter fought to live. And she won.

Today, she’s safe, loved, and recovering with her new family; a living reminder that compassion triumphs when a community stands together.

Because of supporters like you, Applebutter’s lifesaving story is just one of thousands made possible every year.

We’ve achieved so much together in 2025:

• Our No-Kill Live Release Rate remains at 90% and above.
• New county land acquisition and a ten-year county contract secured the future of animal services in Hamilton County.
• Our much-needed Dane Avenue renovation expanded kennel capacity and created a calmer, more humane living environment for our dogs.
• Beautiful new play yards are the finishing touch on this renovation—adding enrichment and exercise space.
• Unleashed: The Power of Love, our inaugural signature fundraising event, raised nearly $200k for the animals in our care.
• We have greatly expanded medical capacity, performing thousands of lifesaving procedures and acquiring several pieces of medical equipment—including the Intensive Care Unit that helped save Applebutter’s life.

Our 12 Month Impact:

• 1,153 animals reunited with their owners
• 8,668 animal intake
• 5,630 animal adoptions
• 8,134 animals sent to foster homes
• 3,917 in-house spay and neuter surgeries performed
• 28,182 volunteer hours logged
• 43,080 miles walked by dog walking volunteers
• $1.64 million invested in lifesaving medical care

As we celebrate 5 years of lifesaving, we also look ahead to the next 10, and to the thousands of animals who will need us tomorrow. Your year-end gift keeps compassion alive in Hamilton County and ensures that when the next Applebutter arrives, we’ll be ready.

Because when a community chooses compassion, lives are saved.

Will you make a gift today to help us continue this lifesaving work? Donate today!