CHARLESTON — The Charleston Animal Society said 246 cats and dogs were adopted during a holiday campaign that ran through December 23, and that 13 of those animals were delivered to their new homes on Christmas Day.

The drive, organized by the Charleston Animal Society in partnership with Hendrick Charleston and coordinated with separate adoption efforts by the Greenville Humane Society, placed animals across Charleston County, Berkeley County and as far north as Greenville. Officials said the effort combined monthlong outreach with events and partner-supported promotions to raise the profile of animals available for adoption.

Kay Hyman, a spokesperson for the Charleston Animal Society, described the campaign as a way to bring animals forward for public consideration. “Nobody wants (these animals) sitting in cages, and this helps us bring them to the forefront, to help the public see the amazing animals we have every single day,” she said.

Officials said the campaign was active throughout December, with partners joining the shelter for outreach and events designed to connect potential adopters with available pets. The society arranged deliveries on Christmas Day so new owners could meet adopted animals at their doors; a short video capturing community members surprised with adopted pets is available online and shows several of those handoffs.

Representatives called the campaign successful based on placement numbers and community response, and they said outreach continued in the days after the holiday period to support new adopters and to find homes for animals still in the system. The Greenville Humane Society’s December adoptions were conducted as part of the region-wide activity, officials said, with local partners coordinating to increase visibility and move animals into permanent homes across multiple counties.

Hyman acknowledged common concerns about adopting or gifting pets during the holidays but framed the practice as a lasting family memory rather than a mistake. “A lot of people think that maybe giving gifts of pets during the holidays is not a great idea. But for us, we don’t see that. We see it as a core memory that kids and adults will remember for the rest of their lives,” she said.

Shelters nationwide often face heightened strain during year-end drives and events. It’s a Hard Time of Year for Animal Shelters—Here’s How They Find … Seasonal challenges include reduced foster availability as people travel or work extra hours, which limits intake capacity and requires shuffling animals, and increased pet surrenders — especially of dogs — along with additional transports between facilities as organizations move animals to where there is demand.

Officials also noted the longer-term reality that a minority of adopted pets are later returned: roughly 7 percent to 20 percent are returned to shelters within a year according to studies that pool multiple sources. What percentage of pets adopted from shelters are returned to the shelters within a year The Charleston Animal Society’s own five-year retrospective found a 9.2 percent overall return rate, with behavior concerns accounting for 32.8 percent of returns and pet incompatibility for 21.5 percent.

As the campaign wound down, staff and volunteers emphasized continued support for adopters and remaining animals. The society said partners and local humane organizations were maintaining outreach in the days after the holidays to help new owners settle in and to continue placing animals left in the system.

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