February 2001
Facts About Animal Shelters
From the ASPCA
Across the country, volunteers and staff in animal
shelters and animal control facilities see the results
of irresponsible pet ownership and dog and cat
overpopulation every day. However, there is very little
reliable data available to illustrate this issue on a
national level. Following is information that shows the
tragedy of pet overpopulation in the U.S., and an
attempt to quantify some of the related issues. These
figures are the result of independent random studies
and are the best estimates by experts in the animal
welfare field and should be considered ballpark figures
for 1999.
There are about 7,000 community animal shelters
nationwide that are independent; there is no national
organization running these shelters. The phrases
“humane society” and “SPCA” are generic terms; shelters
using those names are not part of the Humane Society of
the United States (which operates no animal shelters)
or The ASPCA (which operates one shelter in New York
City). Currently, no government institution or animal
organization is responsible for tabulating national
statistics for the animal welfare movement.
Animal Shelters
• Approximately 8-12 million companion animals are
relinquished to shelters nationwide every year and
approximately 2-3 million dogs (60% of dogs
relinquished) and 3-4 million cats (70% of cats
relinquished) are euthanized.
• Less than 2% of cats and only 15-20% of dogs are
returned to their owners, largely due to pet owners
that don’t provide their animals with proper
identification.
• 25% of dogs that enter local shelters are purebred.
• Only 10% of the animals received by shelters have
been spayed or neutered.
Pet Overpopulation
• The average number of litters a fertile cat can
produce is three a year; average number of kittens in
litters is 4-6.
• The average number of litters a fertile dog can
produce is two a year; average number of puppies is 610.
• One female dog and her offspring can produce as many
as 67,000 puppies in six years.
• One female cat and her offspring can produce as many
as 420,000 kittens in seven years.
• It is impossible to determine how many stray dogs and
cats live in the U.S.; estimates range from 5-10
million.
• The average lifespan of a stray is less than two
years.
• Many strays are lost pets that were not housed
properly or provided with identification.
Pet Ownership
• About 60% of all households in the U.S. have a pet.
• About 53 million dogs and about 59 million cats are
owned in the U.S.
• About 65% of pet owners acquire their pets free or at
low cost.
• 23% of people acquire their cats as strays; 23% of
people who leave dogs in shelters have adopted dogs in
shelters