Huntsville Animal Services found homes for more than 5,100 animals last year, the city said in a news release.

Animal Services ended the year with a nearly 92% release rate, the eighth straight year it had a release rate of more than 90%, the city said.

Animal Services made a push for adoptions and fostering in the closing months of the year after the animal shelter became overwhelmed with cats and dog adoptions were sluggish, Animal Services Director Karen Sheppard told The Lede.

Sheppard said Animal Services was hoping for a release rate of more than 88% percent. She said the euthanasia rate was higher than normal during the summer and her department faced “hard decisions” if the shelter population wasn’t reduced.

The push for adoptions was a success, with the shelter only having a handful of cats in December. Sheppard said the push for dog adoptions was effective, but said the shelter was full again last week.

In the release, Sheppard credited Mayor Tommy Battle and the Huntsville City Council for their continued support, which includes more than $2.6 million in facility enhancements over the past few years and funding for a spay/neuter program for low-income residents.