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Animal shelters across the U.S. are stretched thin as more dogs arrive and fewer get adopted. Overcrowding, housing restrictions, and post-pandemic surrenders mean many pets are waiting weeks—or months—for a home. A new analysis by Hartley Law of more than 67,000 adoption listings on Petfinder shows which breeds are filling kennels in America’s largest cities, and how adoption timelines vary from place to place.
- The 10 Most Common Dog Breeds Found in Shelters in the U.S.
- The U.S. Cities With the Most (and Fewest) Dogs Waiting 30+ Days for Adoption, Mapped
- The Most Common Shelter Dog Breeds in the 50 Largest U.S. Cities
- The Benefits of Adopting a Dog
The 10 Most Common Dog Breeds Found in Shelters in the U.S.
Pit Bull Terriers dominate the data, making up nearly 22 percent of all dogs listed in the study. They’re the most common shelter breed in 29 of the 50 biggest U.S. cities. German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Siberian Huskies, and Chihuahuas round out the top five nationwide.
- Pit Bull Terrier: 21.79 percent
- German Shepherd: 11.44 percent
- Labrador Retriever: 7.73 percent
- Siberian Husky: 6.46 percent
- Chihuahua: 5.61 percent
- American Staffordshire Terrier: 3.81 percent
- Great Pyrenees: 2.21 percent
- Australian Cattle Dog: 2.19 percent
- Australian Shepherd: 1.64 percent
- American Bulldog: 1.62 percent
The local picture, however, looks very different depending on where you are: In Los Angeles, German Shepherds are the most frequently listed. Miami’s shelters most often take in American Bulldogs. In New Orleans, Raleigh, and Salt Lake City, Chihuahuas top the list, while in Cleveland and Tampa, it’s Greyhounds.
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The U.S. Cities With the Most (and Fewest) Dogs Waiting 30+ Days for Adoption, Mapped
The analysis also showed that adoption timelines vary sharply.
In Dallas, nearly 86 percent of shelter dogs have been listed for more than 30 days. Austin and Oklahoma City also see slow adoptions, with three-quarters of their shelter populations waiting a month or more. Florida is another hotspot for long adoptions waits; Miami and Jacksonville both have more than two-thirds of their dogs remaining unadopted after 30 days.
In contrast, Cleveland leads the nation in quick placements—41.8 percent of its dogs remain after a month—while Boston (45.4 percent), New Orleans (46.2 percent), Portland, Oregon (47.1 percent), and Denver (47.3 percent) also move animals into homes more quickly.
Taken together, the numbers show that shelter populations are anything but uniform. Depending on where you live, the breeds in need—and how long they wait—can look very different.
The Most Common Shelter Dog Breeds in the 50 Largest U.S. Cities
City | Top 3 Dog Breeds in Shelters (in Order) |
|---|---|
New York City | Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, American Staffordshire Terrier |
Los Angeles, California | German Shepherd, Pit Bull Terrier, Siberian Husky |
Chicago, Illinois | Pit Bull Terrier, Australian Shepherd, Chihuahua |
Dallas, Texas | Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Great Pyrenees |
Houston, Texas | Pit Bull Terrier, Pug, German Shepherd |
Washington, D.C. | Pit Bull Terrier, Beagle, Siberian Husky |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, German Shepherd |
Miami, Florida | American Bulldog, American Staffordshire Terrier, German Shepherd |
Atlanta, Georgia | Pit Bull Terrier, Great Pyrenees, Catahoula Leopard Dog |
Boston, Massachusetts | Labrador Retriever, Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd |
Phoenix, Arizona | Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Chihuahua |
San Francisco, California | Pit Bull Terrier, Siberian Husky, Chihuahua |
Riverside, California | Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Siberian Husky |
Detroit, Michigan | Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Greyhound |
Seattle, Washington | German Shepherd, Pit Bull Terrier, Chihuahua |
Minneapolis, Minnesota | Labrador Retriever, Pit Bull Terrier, Greyhound |
San Diego, California | German Shepherd, Pit Bull Terrier, Chihuahua |
Tampa, Florida | Labrador Retriever, Greyhound, Cocker Spaniel |
Denver, Colorado | Labrador Retriever, Australian Cattle Dog, German Shepherd |
Baltimore, Maryland | Pit Bull Terrier, Siberian Husky, German Shepherd |
St. Louis, Missouri | Pit Bull Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Boxer |
Orlando, Florida | Pit Bull Terrier, Siberian Husky, Chihuahua |
Charlotte, North Carolina | Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Shetland Sheepdog |
San Antonio, Texas | American Staffordshire Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Chihuahua |
Portland, Oregon | Belgian Malinois, Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd |
Sacramento, California | German Shepherd, Pit Bull Terrier, Rottweiler |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Great Pyrenees |
Austin, Texas | Pit Bull Terrier, Labrador Retreiver, German Shepherd |
Las Vegas, Nevada | Pit Bull Terrier, Chihuahua, German Shepherd |
Cincinatti, Ohio | Pit Bull Terrier, Australian Cattle Dog, Weimaraner |
Kansas City, Missouri | Pit Bull Terrier, Beagle, Australian Shepherd |
Columbus, Ohio | Pit Bull Terrier, Doberman Pinscher, Beagle |
Indianapolis, Indiana | Pit Bull Terrier, Great Pyrenees, Labrador Retriever |
Cleveland, Ohio | Labrador Retriever, Pit Bull Terrier, Greyhound |
Nashville, Tennessee | Labrador Retriever, Pit Bull Terrier, Australian Cattle Dog |
San Jose, California | Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Akita |
Virginia Beach, Virginia | Pit Bull Terrier, Labrador Retriever, American Bulldog |
Providence, Rhode Island | Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Chihuahua |
Jacksonville, Florida | Akita, Cocker Spaniel, Labrador Retriever |
Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Poodle, Chihuahua, Border Collie |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, Chihuahua |
Raleigh, North Carolina | Chihuahua, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd |
Memphis, Tennessee | Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Chihuahua |
Richmond, Virginia | Pit Bull Terrier, Great Pyrenees, Beagle |
Louisville, Kentucky | Labrador Retriever, Pit Bull Terrier, Golden Retriever |
New Orleans, Louisiana | Chihuahua, Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd |
Salt Lake City, Utah | Chihuahua, Siberian Husky, Golden Retriever |
Hartford, Connecticut | Labrador Retriever, Chow Chow, Pit Bull Terrier |
Buffalo, New York | Pit Bull Terrier, Australian Cattle Dog, American Bulldog |
Birmingham, Alabama | Pit Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever |
The Benefits of Adopting a Dog
If you live in one of these cities and all of this is enough to make you want to head to the shelter yourself, let us give you one more push. There are plenty of fantastic reasons to adopt a dog, including (but most definitely not limited to):
- Adopting helps free up space for another pup in need, and you’re not supporting a puppy mill.
- Shelter dogs are probably up-to-date on their shots, and they’re also likely spayed/neutered—so you won’t need to pay for that yourself.
- The adoption fee you pay might be going toward helping a shelter modernize.
- Having a dog comes with many health benefits, like getting sick less often, lower stress levels, and increased physical activity.
- Studies have shown having a dog could even help you land a date.