i stalk the pound a lot and i would love it if i could get a number count on my sidebar of how many pets were in there.

Honest question: why?

I'm not sure whether this would have the kind of utility to warrant a widget. I mean, what is important enough in knowing how many pets are there from a glance on the sidebar rather than clicking three times and visiting the place? If this were the pawn shop, that might make sense given there's an achievement for visiting it when it's empty and timing can be crucial for that, but...the adoption center?

I don't get it.

Definitely not needed. It's easy enough to bookmark the page if you visit it that frequently.