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Originally Posted by Woogie Man  I checked the link you posted and it says estimates are 6-8 million cats and dogs enter shelters every year with 3-4 million being euthanized. This is a lower number than the article the OP posted indicates and also lower than the estimates I've seen. In all cases, though, these are estimates and no one seems to have a really accurate number. No matter whose numbers you use, it's way too many but the range of estimates does underscore the need for a database. Also, in any estimate, cats outnumber dogs and the link you posted lumps them together to get the number they use. The estimate of 25% being pure bred is about dogs but every other number is about dogs and cats. I'm wondering if these estimates are about shelters only or if they include rescues. I know neither one of us is trying to be argumentative and we would all like to see something done about this. I'd just like to see a more accurate compilation of data before legislative solutions are offered since that seems to be the direction being taken lately. Pet over-population wouldn't be such a problem if people had more of a sense of responsibility but that seems to be sorely lacking in society these days. It's really a shame. |
You will never get the full numbers as only government owned/tax payer based animal protection organizations are required to report their euthanization numbers. This does not include rescue organizations etc. I believe the last study was done in 1999 (I could be wrong on the date) but it was only a guesstimate at over 5 million animals and was growing and that 25% were purebreds.
If you want more accurate compilation of data then you have to be ready to pay hugh amounts of $$$ or pass laws to incorporate all organizations to get to these numbers...it will never happen. Animals are just property and frankly few people really give a darn.
Pet over-population starts with the breeders/owners as they are the ones putting together a male and a female dog or not fixing their dogs. End of story. It also starts with "volume breeders" which AKC endorses some of them.
