Major progress has been made in reducing the overpopulation of cats and dogs that had resulted in some 12 to 20 million being euthanized each year in the 1970s. Today, despite there being more than twice the number of companion animals in U.S. homes, the number euthanized yearly is down to three to four million. There is still clearly more work to be done. (Comstock)
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the leading non-profit devoted to animal welfare, reports that in the 1970s American shelters euthanized between 12 and 20 million cats and dogs every year at a time when there were 67 million pets in U.S. homes. According to statistics gleaned from the Asilomar Accords, which tracks animal shelter care and euthanasia numbers, U.S. shelters today euthanize three to four million animals, while there are more than 135 million cats and dogs in American homes.
“This enormous decline in euthanasia numbers—from around 25 percent of American dogs and cats euthanized every year to about three percent—represents substantial progress,” reports HSUS. “We will make still greater progress by working together to strike at the roots of animal overpopulation.”
These numbers are only estimates as there is no centralized reporting protocol for shelters. However, the Asilomar Accords method is gaining momentum as a standard for more accurately tracking animal shelter care and euthanasia numbers; it posts annual statistics for some 150 different U.S. shelters on its website.
And what exactly are the roots of the problem? Foremost is irresponsible breeding—pet owners failing to get their animals spayed or neutered, leading to unwanted offspring. Some 35 percent of U.S. pet owners do not spay or neuter their pets, despite increasing public awareness about the pet overpopulation issue.
Another factor is low adoption rates: Only 20 percent of the 17 million Americans that get a new pet each year opt for a shelter pet; the vast majority buys from pet stores, breeders, or through other private arrangements. And six to eight million pets are given up to shelters or rescue groups every year for one reason or another, leaving these organizations with many more animals than they can place in homes.
Beyond these factors, HSUS also cites our society’s “disposal pet” ethos, whereby owners are quick to relinquish their pets for any number of reasons. The majority of shelter pets are not overflowing litters of puppies and kittens, but companion animals turned in by their owners. “To solve this problem, we would need to effect a cultural change in which every individual fully considers all of the responsibilities and consequences of pet ownership before adopting, and then makes a lifetime commitment to their pet.”
The National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy is a coalition of eleven of America’s foremost animal welfare organizations concerned with the issue of unwanted pets in the United States. The Council and its partner groups, including HSUS, work to promote responsible pet ownership and reduce pet overpopulation through public education, legislation and support for sterilization programs.
As to what individuals can do, HSUS recommends spaying or neutering their dogs and cats, adopting from shelters or rescue groups, and considering all the ramifications of pet ownership before deciding to take on a cat or dog in the first place.
CONTACTS: HSUS, www.hsus.org; Asilomar Accords, www.asilomaraccords.org; National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, www.petpopulation.org.
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Funny – they neglect to mention that apparently there is such a demand, that many of their minions are importing dogs from other countries. Common sense HAS to dictate that IF there are too many dogs in this country already, they WHY are they importing? IF they’re saying there’s an overbreeding – then WHY are there seldom any pure-breds in the shelters? IF there’s n overbreeding – then WHY do we need more from other countries? WHY are they bringing in street dogs? No clue as to genetics, inborn diseases, no ideas of personality – just importing. We are getting problems with rabies and other diseases that are scarce here – but now will be prevalent. Is the idea to over infect our native population so there won’t be any dogs at all? One wonders!!! What is the TRUE agenda???
IF one believes that the H$U$ is truly an animal welfare org, then why are they increasingly lying and pushing archaic statistics and theories – that will result in more animals killed? Want the truth – go check out http://www.humanewatch.org. Find out the truth. In a nutshell – H$U$ is against No Kill (which would save more animals) and spends all those lovely dollars you send them to lobby for harsher and harsher laws against people owning animals. Soon – pets (and other domestic animals) will be extinct. Think about it – is that the world you want to leave to future generations? Why is their partner PETA the leading killer of animals – over 95% of the animals they supposedly rescue, they KILL!!! That’s THEIR own statistics. Better dead than your pet???? Sad people!!!! Sad!!!
The HSUS is NOT a reliable authority when it comes to pet welfare issues. They have a stated animal rights agenda and are not supportive of animal ownership. HSUS urges shelters to kill animals as soon as any mandatory holding period expires. HSUS olobbied against no-kill legislation in California and Texas. They urged the judge in the Vick case to kill all the dogs, even the puppies! Luckily, the judge did not listen and those dogs have been successfully re-homed. If that wasn’t enough, HSUS holds Michael Vick, a man who brutally tortured, electrocuted, and drowned numerous dogs, who threw his “pets” into a fighting ring to be torn to bits….the HSUS thinks he should be allowed to own a pet, and have partnered up with Vick and used him in their fundraising efforts. DISGUSTING.
Pet “overpopulation” is a thing of the past. In fact, it was known as long ago as 1990 that the pendulum was swinging the other direction. In 1973, 20% of the pet population was killed in shelters. By 1990, that number had dropped to 4.5%, and as of surveys from 2010 and later, less than 2% of the pet population is killed in shelters. Many of those who are killed are irremediably ill, seriously injured, or brought into the shelter specifically for humane euthanasia.
Pet UNderpopulation”:
http://www.spanieljournal.com/33lbaughan.html
There are 21 million homes for pets opening up each and every year. These homes could easily absorb the estimated 3-4 million adoptable pets that the shelters instead CHOOSE to kill. Shelter managers need to do a better job of getting the pets to the people who would adopt them.
Debunking Pet Overpopulation:
http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?p=1390
In fact, many rescues import dogs from other countries, because so many shelters in the US do not have enough adoptable dogs to go around:
“It’s Raining Dogs…From Other Countries”:
http://time4dogs.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-raining-dogsfrom-other-countries.html
And let’s put a stop to the mantra of spay-neuter everything that moves. In most other countries (for example the European nations), spay-neuter is rarely done unless medically necessary, and they don’t have rampant “overpopulation”. In the US today, over 78% of all owned dogs and over 88% of all owned cats are already spayed or neutered (Source: American Pet Products Association 2011-2012 National Pet Owners Survey).
Sterilization has many adverse health effects, including increased risk of many types of cancers. It exponentially increases the risk of osteosarcoma, which is extremely painful and invariably fatal. Sterilization greatly increases the risk of incontinence in females, bladder and prostate cancer in males, hypothyroidism, increased susceptibility to vaccine reactions; it increases noise phobias, fearfulness, and aggression toward humans. The most sobering study from 2011 showed that females who kept their ovaries to the age of six years or later, or those who were never spayed, lived, on average, about 30% longer than those spayed at an earlier age. You could have several more years with your female dog simply by keeping her intact. The one exception to this would be in breeds where there is a genetic predisposition to breast cancer. In those cases, early spay can be helpful to prevent breast cancer.
So please stop repeating the silly ideas that we have an overpopulation of pets and that we need to spay and neuter more. Both these notions have been disproven in numerous recent studies.
Well said Lassie and Animal Lover. I was disappointed that HSUS was referred to in this article when there are so many authorities on pet population. Like HSUS, it seems there are some that think one dog or cat is pet over population.
AnimalLover and LassieGetHelp are right. I would add that the shelters importing stray pets from other states, third world countries, and war zones are getting the gullible public to pay $500 to $800 apiece for these pets of questionable health and temperament. The laws of economics prove that there is a pet UNDERpopulation problem, otherwise the shelters couldn’t get this kind of money for such a risky purchase.
You people have got to be the most sadistic disgusting assholes ever. why are they importing dogs? Because people want status symbols you goddamn idiots. Go volunteer at a shelter sometime and get certified to be a euthanasia tech. You all have got to be republicans.