No healthy dog or cat died in a New York City animal shelter during the month of February, according to Maddie's Fund, a foundation dedicated to help make the United States a "no-kill" nation.

Administered by the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, the Pet Rescue Project is focused on adoptions and the goal of saving all of the city's healthy and treatable shelter dogs and cats in 10 years.

The project encompasses all five New York City boroughs, with a combined population of approximately 8 million people.

Since the project began in January 2005, total shelter deaths in New York City have decreased 35 percent, from 31,816 in baseline year 2003 to 20,818 in 2006, according to Maddie's Fund. Euthanasia of healthy shelter pets has declined 73 percent, from 14,000 to 3,831.

During this period, adoptions have risen from 12,831 in 2003 to 22,892 during the second year of the project, the fund added.