The bar chart compares the adoption numbers of three types of animals – dogs, cats, and birds and reptiles – from an animal rescue center in Madison, Wisconsin, over a ten-year period, from 1990 to 2000. The units are measured in numbers.
Overall, the adoption of dogs and birds and reptiles showed a downward trend, although at different rates, while the number of cats adopted increased significantly. Notably, cats overtook dogs in adoption numbers, becoming the most popular animal in this category by the end of the period.
In 1990, dogs were the most commonly adopted animals, with approximately 580 adoptions per year. However, their adoption numbers steadily declined over the following years, dropping to 400 per year by 1998, and remaining stable for the final two years of the period. Birds and reptiles followed a similar pattern, starting at around 120 adoptions per year, but their numbers also decreased steadily over time.
In contrast, cat adoptions took a different path. Beginning at about 320 per year in 1990, the number of cat adoptions rose dramatically, reaching a peak of 650 per year by 2000, making them the most adopted animal by the end of the decade.