Pet overpopulation is more than a problem. It’s a crisis. Sadly, ours is a throw-away society, and pets
become the victims of this pervading mentality. HSUS estimates that 6-8 million dogs and cats enter
shelters each year. Of those, 3-4 million are euthanized. Inhumane puppy mills—mass breeding
operations--churn out hundreds of thousands of dogs each year, many with health or behavioral
problems which often end up in shelters. Beyond overcrowding in shelters, pet overpopulation has tax
spending, health, safety and environmental consequences for our community. Rescue and adoption can
only do so much. Without a cultural change in perception, it will continue to be but a small mend for a
larger wound. It is for this reason that our newsletter this spring is being done in conjunction with Earth
Day. By drawing attention to the seriousness of the pet overpopulation crisis, its causes and solutions,
we hope to bring a sense of awareness and work within broader movements for a more sustainable and
healthy community.
Pet Overpopulation Statistics
From http://www.billfoundation.org/html/cold_hard_facts.html
It costs U.S. taxpayers an estimated $2 billion each year to round up, house, kill, and
dispose of homeless animals. (USA Today)
Over 56% of dogs and puppies entering shelters are killed, based on reports from over
1,055 facilities across America. (National Counsel on Pet Population Study)
An estimated 5 million cats and dogs are killed in shelters each year. That's one about
every six and one half seconds. (The Humane Society of the United States) Millions
more are abandoned, only to suffer from illness or injury before dying. (Doris Day
Animal League)
In six years one unspayed female and her offspring, can reproduce 67,000 dogs (Spay
USA)
Less than 3% of dog guardians are responsible for surplus births (Save Our Strays)
The perceived high cost of altering is not the problem, but the lack of education on its
benefits. On average it costs approximately $100 to capture, house, feed and eventually
kill a homeless animal - a cost that ultimately comes out of our pocket. Low cost
spay/neuter services are far below that amount. (Doris Day Animal League)
The cost of having a pregnant female can be much higher than the cost of spaying
Seven dogs & cats are born every day for each person born in the U.S. Of those, only 1
in 5 puppies and kittens say in their original home for their natural lifetime. The
remaining 4 are abandoned to the streets or end up at a shelter (The Humane Society of
the United States)
Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S. and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens
are born. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the
animals (Spay USA)
The public acquires only 14% of its pets from shelters; 48% get their pets as strays, from
friends, from animal rescuers, 38% get their pets from breeders or pet stores (The
Humane Society of the United States)
Only 30% of dog guardians are aware of the pet-overpopulation problem (Massachusetts
SPCA survey 1993)
In a study of relinquishment of cats and dogs in 12 U.S. animal shelters, 30% of the
surrendered dogs were purebreds. The same study indicated that 55% of the surrendered
dogs and 47% of the surrendered cats were unaltered. (Journal of Applied Animal
Welfare Science)
The Humane Society of the United States provided these statistics:
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Number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year:
8–10 million (HSUS estimate)
Number of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters each year:
4–5 million (HSUS estimate)
Number of cats and dogs adopted from shelters each year:
3–5 million (HSUS estimate)
Number of cats and dogs reclaimed by owners from shelters each year:
Between 600,000 and 750,000—15–30% of dogs and 2–5% of cats entering shelters
(HSUS estimate)
Number of animal shelters in the United States:
Between 4,000 and 6,000 (HSUS estimate)
Percentage of dogs in shelters who are purebred:
25% (HSUS estimate)
Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year: 2
Average number of puppies in a canine litter: 6–10
1
The Humane Society of the United StatesﾗPet Overpopulation Facts (1999) 2 National Council on Pet Population
Study and PolicyﾗThe Top Ten Reasons for Pet Relinquishment to Shelters in the United States 3 The State of the
American PetﾗA Study Among Pet Owners. Prepared by Yankelovich Partners for Ralston Purina, October
2000. 4 Alley Cat Allies. 5 Alley Cat Rescue 6 Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 1998, Volume 1,
Number 3, p. 213 7 USA Today, June 23, 1998, pg. 1 8 National Council on Pet Population Study and
PolicyﾗShelter Statistics Survey (1997 data)
From HSUS
Abandoned and stray companion animals who survive in the streets and alleys of cities and suburbs pose a health
threat to humans and other animals. Homeless companion animals get into trash containers, defecate in public areas
or on private lawns, and anger citizens who have no understanding of their misery or their needs. Some of these
animals scare away or prey upon wildlife—such as birds—or frighten small children.
From: http://www.bartholomewco.com/animal/info.php
Did You Know?
Each day 10,000 humans are born in the United States - and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are
born. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. As a result,
millions of healthy, loving cats, dogs, kittens and puppies face early deaths as a form of animal control.
Others are left to fend for themselves against automobiles, the elements, animals and cruel humans.
What can you do to stop the suffering? Spay and neuter your pets! Work with Spay/USA and together
we can make a difference.
An unspayed female dog, her mate and all of their puppies and their puppies puppies, if none are ever
neutered or spayed, add up to:
1 year: 12
2 years: 67
3 years: 376
4 years: 2,107
5 years: 11,801
6 years: 66,088
7 years: 370,092
8 years: 2,072,514
9 years: 11,606,077
An unspayed female cat, her mate and all of their
offspring, producing two litters per year; with 2.8
surviving kittens per litter; can total:
1 year: 16
2 years: 128
3 years: 512
4 years: 2,048
5 years: 12,288
6 years: 67,000
Spay/USA is a program of The Pet Savers Foundation, Inc. 750 Port Washington Boulevard
From Spay/USA
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BENEFITS OF SPAY/NEUTER FOR CATS AND DOGS
Benefits of Spaying (females):
No heat cycles, therefore males will not be attracted
Less desire to roam
Risk of mammary gland tumors, ovarian and/or uterine cancer is reduced or eliminated, especially if done
before the first heat cycle
Reduces number of unwanted cats/kittens/dogs/puppies
Helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives
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Benefits of Neutering (males):
Reduces or eliminates risk of spraying and marking
Less desire to roam, therefore less likely to be injured in fights or auto accidents
Risk of testicular cancer is eliminated, and decreases incidence of prostate disease
Reduces number of unwanted cats/kittens/dogs/puppies
Decreases aggressive behavior, including dog bites
Helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives
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Top 3 Reasons to Spay and Neuter
It helps to reduce companion animal overpopulation. Most countries have a surplus of companion animals
and are forced to euthanize or disregard their great suffering. The surplus is in the millions in the United
States. Cats are 45 times as prolific, and dogs 15 times as prolific, as humans.They do not need our help
to expand their numbers; they need our help to reduce their numbers until there are good homes for them
all.
Sterilization of your cat or dog will increase his/her chance of a longer and healthier life. Altering your
canine friend will increase his life an average of 1 to 3 years, felines, 3 to 5 years. Altered animals have a
very low to no risk of mammary gland tumors/cancer, prostate cancer, perianal tumors, pyometria, and
uterine, ovarian and testicular cancers.
Sterilizing your cat/dog makes him/her a better pet, reducing his/her urge to roam and decreasing the risk
of contracting diseases or getting hurt as they roam. Surveys indicate that as many as 85% of dogs hit by
cars are unaltered. Intact male cats living outside have been shown to live on average less than two
years. Feline Immunodeficiency Syndrome is spread by bites and intact cats fight a great deal more than
altered cats.
Additional Benefits:
Your community will also benefit. Unwanted animals are becoming a very real concern in many places.
Stray animals can easily become a public nuisance, soiling parks and streets, ruining shrubbery,
frightening children and elderly people, creating noise and other disturbances, causing automobile
accidents, and sometimes even killing livestock or other pets.
- The American Veterinary Medical Association
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The capture, impoundment and eventual destruction of unwanted animals costs taxpayers and private
humanitarian agencies over a billion dollars each year. As a potential source of rabies and other less
serious diseases, they can be a public health hazard.
- The American Veterinary Medical Association
From The Ryan Newman Foundation:
Every year in the United States an estimated 5 million animals lose their lives in shelters because
they are homeless. That is one pet life lost every 6.5 seconds. The pet overpopulation epidemic is
so staggering that for every animal born in the United States to have a home each and every
humane being would have to own 6 dogs and 9 cats. So, in actuality a family of four…2 parents
and 2 small children would have to own 24 dogs and 36 cats. I t costs U.S. taxpayers and
estimated 2 billion each year to round up, house, kill and dispose of homeless animals.
Spay/Neuter Programs are the Key to Reducing Pet Overpopulation and Euthanasia
Every day in the US thousands of unwanted puppies and kittens are born. Of the 6 to 8 million
dogs and cats that enter US shelters every year, 3 to 4 million of them are euthanized because
there are not enough homes for them all. The only proven way to reduce animal overpopulation
and therefore reduce the number of animals euthanized in this country annually is through public
low-cost spay/neuter programs.
Ryan and Krissie Newman are proud to serve as spokespeople for the National Spay/Neuter
Response Team (NSNRT). NSNRT is an initiative by the Humane Alliance spay/neuter clinic in
Asheville, North Carolina to help nonprofit organizations establish public, low-cost spay/neuter
clinics across the country using the Humane Alliance model. Humane Alliance operates a highvolume spay/neuter clinic in Asheville that has sterilized 150,000 animals since its inception 12
years ago and reduced the euthanasia rate in their community by an astounding 82%! The
numbers prove that their spay/neuter clinic model works, which is why the started the NSNRT.
Through their NSNRT initiative, the Humane Alliance has already helped groups across the
country begin operations for 12 model clinics in just one year. The NSNRT sends in groups of
trained vets and techs around the country to help nonprofit organizations open spay/neuter clinics
using the Humane Alliance model. The nonprofit organization first spends a week with their
entire staff in Asheville at the Humane Alliance clinic, and then the Asheville staff comes back
with them to their hometown for two weeks to help them open their clinic.
In this country tax-payers spend $1 billion dollars annually to pick up, house, and euthanize
homeless animals. If only 5% of that total were allocated to spay/neuter programs, we could
open 250 public, low-cost spay/neuter clinics across the country and sterilize more than $4
million animals each year.
One clinic that is slated to open in 2007 is the Ryan Newman Foundation Spay/Neuter Clinic at
the Humane Society of Catawba County’s multipurpose animal welfare facility that is being
constructed this year. The Ryan Newman Foundation pledged a donation of $400,000 to build
the clinic, which will serve eight counties in the heart of NASCAR country in North Carolina.
(Pit Road Pets is helping fund the new facility.)
The Newmans believe that in order to make a difference in the world, you have to start in your
own community. So the Ryan Newman Foundation is funding the building of this spay/neuter
clinic in North Carolina while working nationally with the National Spay/Neuter Response Team
to help them open other clinics across the nation to stop the animal overpopulation epidemic.