There has been a growing movement in the United States regarding pets, which are either given up for adoption or abandoned, where animal shelters are more inclined to offer “no-kill” care when possible. That means animals are kept fed and sheltered until they can be placed with a willing, compassionate owner.
In keeping with that sentiment, many prospective pet owners have elected to adopt pets from a shelter, rather than purchase one from a breeder or in a retail setting.
As a result, the animals who are adopted from shelters have come to be known as “rescue” pets because, frankly, in some instances the animal is being saved from being euthanized.
BetSouthCarolina.com, typically your home for South Carolina sports betting, wondered what states were most active in having pets rescued. BetSouthCarolina used data from RescueMe.org to find the number of rescue groups and adoption agencies in every state. Then, BetSouthCarolina ranked each state by how many rescue organizations they had per square mile.
The Palmetto State has a better than middle-of-the-pack statistical standing, but not always a favorable public perception about animals in need. In 2022, an unfortunate situation received widespread attention when it was reported by several news organizations that an official with a pet shelter was arrested after about 30 dead animals were found at that person’s home. Some animals showed signs of starvation and dehydration.
Overall, though, South Carolina ranks No. 17 in the United States for animal rescue groups. The raw data showed 234 pet rescue groups, or one per 0.007307821 square miles.
Using the above criteria, the most active state for rescue groups is Rhode Island with 92 of such groups in what is a geographically small state.
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states made up nine of the top 10 states for pet rescue groups. Following Rhode Islands were, in order: Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.
Author
Bill Ordine was a reporter and editor in news and sports for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Baltimore Sun for 25 years, and was a lead reporter on a team that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News. Bill started reporting on casinos and gaming shortly after Atlantic City’s first gambling halls opened and wrote a syndicated column on travel to casino destinations for 10 years. He now lends his expertise to BetSouthCarolina.com, among other sites.
