The United States faces
a pet overpopulation crisis as ten to twelve million animals are euthanized
each year simply because there are not enough homes for them. Euthanasia is
the single largest cause of death for dogs and cats in the U.S. We classify 10
million to 12 million of them as “surplus” and kill them. That’s a
million a month. These numbers do not include the millions of dead dogs and
cats whose bodies are scraped off the streets, the estimated 35 million to 60
million feral cats, the hundreds or thousands we abuse, neglect and abandon to
suffer from starvation, exposure, and disease before dying. Only the most “fortunate” victims make it into good
shelters to be counted and killed; most are socialized to humans, less than 2
years old, in good condition, and young.
The number of dogs one
unaltered female and her offspring can produce in 6 years is 67,000. The
average number of litters an unaltered female dog can produce in one year is
two. The number of puppies in an average litter is 6-10. A dog can come into
puberty/heat as early as 5 months. The number of cats one unaltered female and
her offspring can produce in 7 years is 420,000. The average number of litters
an unaltered female cat can produce in one year is three. The
number of kittens in an average litter is 7-10. A cat can come into
puberty as early as 4 months. Female cats do not go out of heat until they are
bred. While a female dog or cat can only have one litter at a time, male
animals can impregnate many females each day.
Dogs and cats have a
greatly improved chance of long life, good health and contentment if they are
spayed or neutered. The best preventive is to spay dogs and cats while they
are young and healthy. Having our
pets spayed or neutered prevents the birth of unwanted puppies and kittens.
No single segment of
the public can be blamed for the dog and cat overpopulation. Sources include
accidental mating, purposeful breeding by people who hope to sell the
offspring, and breeding for “personal” reasons. If all Veterinarians would
actively promote spaying and neutering, the crisis would improve dramatically.
The American Kennel Club is the country’s largest registry for purebred
dogs. It receives millions of dollars each year from registering litters for
breeders.
The problem is simple:
we have too many dogs and cats and not enough homes. Too many unaltered dogs
and cats running at large. We all must begin to take responsibility for pet
overpopulation. Simply stated, to end the pet overpopulation, we must turn off
the reproductive faucet. An owner must not permit an unaltered dog or cat to
run loose. Animal guardians must spay and neuter their companion animals. It
is no longer acceptable to indiscriminately breed a dog or cat. It is a crime
against the 10-12 million homeless dogs and cats we kill every year.
A spay or neuter
surgery carries a one-time cost that is relatively small when one considers
its benefits. It’s a small
price to pay for the health of your pet and the prevention of more unwanted
animals. By spaying or neutering companion animals, we can end these unwanted
births, reduce the needless suffering and deaths that homeless animals endure.
There
is a solution to this problem in which everyone can participate…By spaying
or neutering companion animals, we can end these unwanted births, and reduce
the needless suffering that homeless animals endure.
For More Information Click Here To Go To The Spay
and Neuter Page
