New Hill’s report highlights the large-dog adoption gap

Hill’s Pet Nutrition has released its 2026 State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report: Spotlight on Large Dogs, arguing that large dogs continue to face a measurable adoption disadvantage tied to adopter confidence, cost concerns, and housing barriers. The report, based on a November 2025 survey of 2,000 U.S. adults and informed by Shelter Animals Count data, found that 35% of Americans say they’d be likely to adopt a large dog, but large dogs still account for a smaller share of adoptions than of intakes and spend longer in shelters than small or medium dogs. Hill’s says practical concerns, including food costs, ability to physically manage a large dog, limited living space, and veterinary expenses, remain the biggest friction points for adopters. (theaawa.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the report reframes the large-dog bottleneck as more than a shelter operations issue. Hill’s and Shelter Animals Count both point to cost of care, access to veterinary services, and adopter uncertainty as barriers that practices may be able to help reduce through clearer preventive-care counseling, realistic cost discussions, behavior support, and partnerships with shelters on post-adoption follow-up. The report also highlights barrier-reduction models such as conversation-based adoption programs and trial foster-to-adopt approaches that may improve placement success for larger dogs. (shelteranimalscount.org)

What to watch: Expect more shelters, industry partners, and veterinary teams to test fee-waived events, foster-to-adopt models, and lower-friction adoption counseling aimed specifically at moving large dogs out of long-stay kennels. (theaawa.org)