I read an article on the Humane Society of the United States website (www.hsus.org) and felt this is information that although we have all read it before we need to take to heart and do something about. So today is the day to begin making a difference:
As a nation, we claim to love cats and dogs. Millions of households have pets, and billions of dollars are spent yearly on pet supplies and food. But as a nation, we should take a hard, sobering look at a different annual statistic: the millions of dogs and cats given up to shelters or left to die on the streets.
And the numbers tell only half the story.
The following statistics were compiled from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey.
Dogs
• There are approximately 74.8 million owned dogs in the United States
• Thirty-nine percent of U.S. households own at least one dog
• Most owners (63 percent) own one dog
• Twenty-five percent of owners own two dogs
• Twelve percent of owners own three or more dogs
• On average, owners have almost two dogs (1.7)
• The proportion of male to female dogs is even
• Ten percent of owned dogs were adopted from an animal shelter
• On average, dog owners spent $219 on veterinary visits (vaccine, well visits) annually
• Seventy-five percent of owned dogs are spayed or neutered
Cats
• There are approximately 88.3 million owned cats in the United States
• Nearly 34 percent of U.S. households (or 38.4 million) own at least one cat
• Fifty-six percent of owners own more than one cat
• On average, owners have two cats (2.3)
• More female cats are owned than male cats (73 percent vs. 63 percent respectively)
• Eighteen percent of owned cats were adopted from an animal shelter
• Cat owners spent an average of $175 on routine veterinary visits
• Eighty-seven percent of owned cats are spayed or neutered
Every cat or dog who dies as a result of pet overpopulation—whether humanely in a shelter or by injury, disease or neglect—is an animal who, more often than not, would have made a wonderful companion, if given the chance.
Tremendous as the problem of pet overpopulation is, it can be solved if each of us takes just one small step, starting with not allowing our animals to breed. Here’s information about this crisis and why spaying and neutering is the first step to a solution.
The solution can be simply stated. Its implementation, however, requires sweeping efforts from a variety of organizations and people, including you.
The solution is this: only by implementing widespread sterilization programs, only by spaying and neutering all companion animals, will we get a handle on pet overpopulation. Consider the fact that in six short years, one female dog and her offspring can give birth to hundreds of puppies. And, in seven years, one cat and her young can produce hundreds of kittens.
Given these high reproductive rates, it stands to reason that, in only a few years, carefully planned and implemented sterilization programs could produce a dramatic reduction in the number of unwanted companion animals born. In fact, in those towns and cities that have implemented such programs, we’ve already seen the number of companion animals who had to be euthanized decline by 30 to 60 percent—even in those communities where human populations have been steadily increasing.
But these programs don’t create themselves. They require the planning and coordination of many people. Successful pet population control programs range from subsidized sterilization clinics to cooperative efforts involving local veterinarians to mass media educational campaigns. Only through the continued nationwide establishment of such programs will we bring an end to the tragedy of pet overpopulation.
Legislation can have the most direct impact simply by requiring that every pet adopted from a municipal or county shelter be sterilized within a certain period of time. Similarly, differential-licensing laws—laws that substantially increase license fees for pets who have not been spayed or neutered—give owners an incentive to sterilize their pets.
Education, too, is an essential part of solving this problem. Unless people know the facts about pet overpopulation and sterilization, they are virtually helpless to do anything about the problem.
Reduced spay/neuter fees play an important role as well. Subsidized spay/neuter clinics and programs in some communities have already helped bring down the cost of sterilization. In areas where veterinarians have agreed to reduce their spay/neuter fees, we’ve seen a significant decline in the number of animals euthanized.
Finally, pet owners can do their part by having their companion animals spayed or neutered. This is the single most important step you can take. Have your pet sterilized so that he or she does not contribute to the pet overpopulation problem, and adopt your next pet from an animal shelter.
For additional information on pet ownership statistics, contact the APPMA at ww.appma.org.or the Humane Society of the United States at www.hsus.org.
Posted by tailtalk 
