Pet Overpopulation Problem Simple Facts
5 to 7 million pets enter animal shelters nationwide every year.
3 to 4 million dogs and cats are killed every year because shelters are too full and there aren’t enough adoptive homes.
Homeless animals outnumber homeless people 5 to 1.
Only 1 out of every 10 dogs born will find a permanent home.
Less than 2 percent of cats and only 15 to 20 percent of dogs are returned to their owners, according to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP).
It’s impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the U.S. Estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million.
Only 10 percent of the animals received by shelters have been spayed or neutered. Owners letting their pets accidentally or intentionally reproduce causes millions of these “excess” animals killed annually.
Many strays are lost pets that were not kept properly indoors or provided with identification. Please microchip your pet and/or have a collar with an ID tag. Make sure your information is up to date.
Sources: ASPCA, PETA, Humane Society, Born Free USA
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How can you help? Spay/neuter your pet, microchip your pet, adopt from a shelter or rescue, foster a pet, and educate people.