Pet Overpopulation in the United States
The pet overpopulation problem in the U.S. has reached epidemic proportions. Here are the facts:- For every person born in the U.S., 15 puppies and 45 kittens are also born.
- Only 1 of 12 kittens and 1 of 6 puppies finds a home through a humane society (national average).
- For every pet with a place they can happily call home, there are 4 companion animals who are homeless, neglected or abused.
- Each year, 8 to 12 million animals are euthanized in shelters across America. Using the 10 million figure, that's 192,308 per week or 27,473 pets euthanized every day; or 1 pet every 4 seconds.
- On average in the U.S., more than 2,000 puppies and 3,500 kittens are born every hour; 70,000 per day; 2.1 million per month.
- Female cats can breed as young as 4 months old, and will continue to produce an average of 3 litters per year, with 4 to 6 kittens per litter. If each of these offspring is not spayed and neutered, this one fertile cat can theoretically produce more than 420,000 kittens in only 7 years...11.5 million kittens in 9 years...and so on (these figures are based on a conservative average of 2 litters per year with 2.8 surviving kittens per litter).
- Female dogs can produce an average of 2 litters per year, with 6 to 10 puppies per litter. If each of these offspring is not spayed and neutered, this one fertile dog can theoretically produce 67,000 puppies in only 6 years.
Where Do All the Unwanted Animals Go?
- (In addition to the 10-12 million cats and dogs euthanized each year, millions of abandoned pets and feral cats suffer on the streets as they attempt to survive on their own. The Humane Society of the United States reported in September 2001 that more than 30 million animals die each year from cruelty, neglect and exploitation.
- These millions of unwanted animals end up left on doorsteps, dumped along roadsides or left to suffer and die on the streets or in the wild.
- They become easy prey for larger animals, easy targets for autos and easy marks for cruel pranksters and fanatics.
- Many strays never even make it to a shelter. Most of them die early, from disease, starvation and under the wheels of our cars.
- For example: In 1997, there were 60 million owned cats in the U.S. But there were also 40 million unowned cats fending for themselves in the wild. Some of these ownerless cats were originally raised in homes and are reasonably well socialized. These cats do not fare well in the wild, lacking the skills to survive. As a result they end up suffering all kinds of inhumanities and are constantly exposed to the threats of trauma and disease. In addition, they remain unvaccinated and, from a public health point of view, could be construed as a health hazard, serving as a bridge between rabid wild animals and the human population.
How Can We End the Suffering and Death?
There are not enough homes for the animals that exist now. If these rates continue, there will never be enough homes. The only way to reduce the number of dogs and cats being euthanized and dying on the streets is to reduce the number of dogs and cats being born. Please, spay or neuter your pet and tell your friends and neighbors to do so too. It will save thousands upon thousands of lives!
Sources
Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), hsus.org; collateral “Facts About Spaying and Neutering Your Pet.”
Collateral from the American Humane Association (AHA)
Doctors Foster and Smith, PetEducation.com.
The National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, petpopulation.org
Spayusa.org
Spay.org
The Cat Fanciers' Association, cfainc.org
Petsmart.com
Healthypet.com
The Winn Feline Foundation, winnfelinehealth.org
Pawprints and Purrs, sniksnak.com
Doghause.com
Buttespayneuter.org
SNAP, Louisa.net
SNYP (Spay Neuter Your Pet), spayneuter.com
American Pet Association, apapets.com
I-CAN Indiana Companion Animal Network, spayneuter.net
The Fund for Animals collateral: “Fund Facts.”