Pet Overpopulation Breeds Euthanasia ~ Pawprints and Purrs, Inc.

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Pet Overpopulation and its many tentacles reaches into our homes, neighborhoods, shelters, rescues, local and national governments. And until it touches our collective heart and consciousness, it will continue spreading its insidious disease: Euthanasia.

We respond to this disease with denial, much like any other terminal illness. To protest its existence doesn't dissolve it. To look the other way doesn't halt its progression. Our only hope is to become aware of its dangers, yield to knowledge that will slow its advance, and actively fight it as we would any pestilence.

Having our pets altered is a solid, effective defense against overpopulation in that it places fewer and fewer offspring in kill-shelters. Spayed, Neutered, Altered, Sterilized, Castrated, Fixed, all refer to surgical intervention (female ovariohysterectomy; male orchiectomy) that prevents animals from reproducing.

Another contributing factor to pet overpopulation is that guardians are surrendering their pets to shelters for a variety of reasons. The "We'll try it and if it doesn't work out ... " mentality when bringing a pet into a home is placing that animal at risk. Much more commitment is required, and it BEGINS with considering the appropriate pet for the family.

The 'throw-away' society we've become seems at odds with giving much-needed thought to buying the right breed or selecting the right shelter pet. Due consideration must be given to the pet's size, breed temperament, grooming, obedience classes, vet visits and expenses. Not preparing for these can result in dysfunctional pet guardianship patterns that ultimately lead to surrendering pets to shelters or outright abandonment.

To the desired end that Pet Overpopulation and Euthanasia will soon be past issues, the following information is of interest:

Over $2 billion is spent annually by local governments to shelter and ultimately destroy 8-10 million adoptable dogs and cats due of shortage of homes. Source: Business Wire Features

Less than 3% of dog guardians are responsible for surplus births. Source: Save Our Strays

The main reason for cat overpopulation is feral, free-roaming, unowned cats. Source: Save Our Strays

An estimated 6 to 8 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year. Millions more are abandoned, only to suffer from illness or injury before dying. Source: Doris Day Animal League

The perceived high cost of altering is not the problem, but the lack of education, i.e., its benefits.

While prices vary considerably, many humane societies and municipal animal control departments offer low-cost spay/neuter services. And while the cost of surgery may seem high initially, it's a real bargain when compared with the cost of raising a litter of puppies or kittens. Spaying and neutering also saves taxpayer dollars. On average, it costs approximately $100 to capture, house, feed and eventually kill a homeless animal - a cost that ultimately comes out of all our pockets. Source: Doris Day Animal League

The cost of having a pregnant female can be much higher than cost of spaying.

Seven dogs and cats are born every day for each person born in the US. Of those, only 1 in 5 puppies and kittens stay in their original home for his/her natural lifetime. The remaining 4 are abandoned to the streets or end up at a shelter. Source: 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. Source: Spay USA

Early age altering of pets (6-14 weeks) has been practiced for over 25 years in North America.

Neutering the male before he is sexually mature will inhibit such 'territorial' linked behaviors like urine-marking and aggressive posturing.

Unspayed females have higher incidences of mammary tumors, uterine infections, and cancer.

Unneutered males have much higher probability of prostate enlargement/cancer, testicular cancer and related infections. The urge to mate leads to fighting, aggression, excessive barking, howling, and other unwelcome behaviors.

Neutered pets get along much better with each other.

Unneutered male cats spray floors and furniture. They rarely develop this habit if neutered early. Older 'sprayers' usually stop within a few months of being neutered.

'Purebreds' account for 30% of all the animals in shelters. Source: Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science

Altered pets don't get fat simply as a result of sterilization, but by eating too much and exercising too little.

Altering doesn't adversely affect the personality of your pet. Any changes brought about by spaying/neutering are generally positive. Neutered male cats usually stop territorial spraying. Neutered dogs and cats fight less and are less likely to become lost due to straying from home in search of a mate. Spayed animals do not go into heat or need to be confined indoors to avoid pregnancy. All altered animals remain protective and loyal to their guardians. Source: Doris Day Animal League

There's absolutely no truth to the myth that it's best to let a female pet give birth to a litter before getting her spayed.

A reduction in pet overpopulation will mean a reduction in animals running loose, causing traffic hazards, quarantines, bites, fighting and yowling complaints.

Approximately 55% of dogs and puppies entering shelters are killed, based on reports from 1,038 facilities across America. Source: National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy - Shelter Statistics Survey

Approximately 71% of cats and kittens entering shelters are killed, based on reports from 1,038 facilities across America. Source: National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy - Shelter Statistics Survey

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. Source: The Humane Society of the United States

Only 42% of cat guardians and 39% of dog guardians are aware of the pet-overpopulation problem. Source: Massachusetts SPCA survey 1993

"Owner ignorance" populates shelters with abandoned dogs and cats.

Some pet guardians allow their pets to have a litter for their child to witness 'the miracle of birth'. The child still may not witness this, as pregnant females often seclude themselves from prying eyes when birthing time comes. And if 'learning' is the goal, the lesson, taken to its completion, will include the euthanization of unwanted animals in the shelters, and the suffering of those abandoned. The fact remains: there are too many pets, not enough good homes, and this exercise in 'education' has served only to contributing further to pet overpopulation.

Pets that spend most of their time separated from the family, either in crates or in the yard, are at greater risk of being surrendered to shelters. Consider this: While our world consists of interests outside our pets, we are their ENTIRE world and depend on us exlusively for their socialization and well-being.

An unspayed female cat, her mate and all of their offspring, producing 2 litters per years, with 2.8 surviving kittens per year can total 11,606,077 cats in 9 years. Source: Spay USA

In 6 years one unspayed female dog and her offspring, can reproduce 67,000 dogs. Source: Spay USA

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do."
Edward Everett Hale, 1794-1865, American Orator and Statesman

Reference Sources:
1. Doris Day Animal League (DDAL)
2. Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
3. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science (JAAWS)
4. Massachusetts SPCA
5. Save Our Strays
6. Spay USA

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