| One of my hopes for the photo book projects it | | | | U.S. shelters each year: |
| that the books will help educate the public about the | | | | Between 600,000 and 750,000-30 percent of dogs |
| pet overpopulation problem in the U.S. and Canada. | | | | and 2-5 percent of cats entering shelters (HSUS |
| Currently, I'm certainly no expert on this topic. My | | | | estimate) |
| only background in rescue work is a couple months | | | | Number of animal shelters in the U.S.: |
| of volunteering at the local SPCA. However, during | | | | Between 4,000 and 6,000 (HSUS estimate) |
| my road trips, I'll be talking to shelter and rescue | | | | Percentage of dogs in shelters who are purebred: |
| workers and learning about the pet overpopulation | | | | 25 percent (HSUS estimate) |
| crisis along the way. I will pass what I learn on to | | | | Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in |
| everyone here. | | | | one year: 3 |
| While the Humane Society of the United States | | | | Average number of kittens in a feline litter: 4-6 |
| (HSUS) estimates the number of cats and dogs who | | | | Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce |
| are euthanized in shelters each year to be | | | | in one year: 2 |
| approximately three to four million, the American | | | | Average number of puppies in a canine litter: 6-10 |
| Humane Association estimates this number to be as | | | | Only 1 of every 10 dogs born in the U.S. finds a |
| high as 9.6 million. Why the huge difference? It is | | | | permanent home. |
| difficult to know the exact number, since animal care | | | | Only 1 of every 12 cats born in the U.S. finds a |
| and control agencies are not required to keep track | | | | permanent home. |
| of the number of animals surrendered, adopted, | | | | Approximate number of babies born in the U.S. each |
| euthanized or reclaimed by their owners. | | | | day: 10,000 |
| One thing that is known is that those numbers are | | | | Approximate number of puppies and kittens born in |
| down from the "dark days" of the 1970s. A local | | | | the U.S. each day: 70,000 |
| shelter in the suburbs of Philadelphia believes the | | | | With approximately 70,000 dogs and cats being born |
| number of animals taken in by the shelter has | | | | each day in the U.S., there simply aren't enough |
| declined from a high of around 12,000 to 14,000 per | | | | homes for these animals. Please spay or neuter your |
| year in the '70s, to just 3,000 to 4,000 per year in | | | | pets! |
| 2008. One big reason for this decline is that the public | | | | The Top Ten Reasons for Pet Relinquishment to U.S. |
| has been educated on the importance of spaying and | | | | Shelters (The National Council on Pet Population, |
| neutering, and also nowadays many shelters will not | | | | Study and Policy) |
| adopt out a pet without the pet first being spayed | | | | DOGS |
| or neutered. Those numbers are, however, rising | | | | 1. Moving |
| slightly from recent years, due to the number of | | | | 2. Landlord issues |
| foreclosures and number of people relocating as a | | | | 3. Cost of pet maintenance |
| result. Let's hope once the housing situation in the | | | | 4. No time for pet |
| U.S. settles down, that the numbers will again start to | | | | 5. Inadequate facilities |
| decline, and, with even more awareness raised, that | | | | 6. Too many pets in home |
| those numbers will decrease even further. | | | | 7. Pet illness (es) |
| Below are U.S. estimates from the HSUS and the | | | | 8. Personal problems |
| National Council on Pet Population, Study and Policy. I | | | | 9. Biting |
| will cover statistics in Canada once I start visiting | | | | 10. No homes for littermates |
| Canadian shelters and rescue groups. | | | | CATS |
| Number of cats and dogs entering U.S. shelters each | | | | 1. Too many in house |
| year: | | | | 2. Allergies |
| 6-8 million (HSUS estimate) | | | | 3. Moving |
| Number of cats and dogs euthanized by U.S.shelters | | | | 4. Cost of pet maintenance |
| each year: | | | | 5. Landlord issues |
| 3-4 million (HSUS estimate); 9.6 million (American | | | | 6. No homes for littermates |
| Humane Association) | | | | 7. House soiling |
| Number of cats and dogs adopted from U.S. shelters | | | | 8. Personal problems |
| each year: | | | | 9. Inadequate facilities |
| 3-4 million (HSUS estimate) | | | | 10. |
| Number of cats and dogs reclaimed by owners from | | | | |