Pet abandonment & overpopulation, as well as the number of pets entering animal shelters each year worldwide (and in individual countries), are significant problems.
In this guide, we outline the size of the issues with stats, outline the impact and effects, and also what it might cost society from a financial perspective.
This guide compliments our separate guides on the top reasons why people give up their pets, and, potential solutions to pet abandonment, pet overpopulation, and pet shelter overcrowding.
Summary Of Pet Abandonment, Overpopulation, & Pets Entering Animal Shelters
Size Of These Issues – Stats
– Stray Animals
The number of stray animals living just in the US is roughly 70 million, and in countries with poor dog and cat population control, that number can be higher
– Re-Homing
In the US, about one million owners re-home their pets annually
– Animals Entering Shelters, & How Many Are Euthanised
In the US, about 5 to 7 million pets are admitted to animal shelters annually
In the US, roughly 2.7 million pets of the 5 to 7 million that enter animal shelters annually are euthanized
– Shelter Animal Adoptions, & Returning Shelter Animals To Owners
In the US, roughly 3.2 million shelter animal are adopted yearly
In the US, about 710,000 animals who enter shelters as strays are returned to their owners
Potential Effects Of These Issues
There’s a range of potential effects and impacts of pet stray animals, pet abandonment, pet overpopulation, and shelter overcrowding, including but not limited to:
– The impact on pets themselves
– The impact on pet owners and families that own pets
– The impact on public and private resources, and the opportunity cost of where else these resources could be allocated
– Impact on human health and public health
– The impact on cities, towns and places where pets and people live
Potential Financial Costs Of These Issues
– Overall
In just the US, estimates indicate that the cost of stray animals and animals that enter shelters costs taxpayers and society into the billions of dollars annually.
– Stray Animals
The cost of caring for stray pets is roughly $2 billion a year in total in the US
Tax payers pay roughly $150 per stray pet (from capture, through to euthanizing).
The public or private cost for pets entering stray pet or abandoned pet care programs per day, per pet, can be roughly $25 according to some sources
– Other
However, there’s also the financial cost of running shelters and rescues, and of veterinarian fees specifically for euthanization
Top Reasons Why People Give Up Their Pets
Read more on the reasons why people surrender or give up, or even re-home their pets in this guide.
Potential Solutions To Pet Abandonment, Pet Overpopulation, & Animals Entering Shelters
How Many Stray Animals Are In The US?
Paraphrased from onegreenplanet.org, there might be around 70 million stray animals living in the US right now
How Many Pets Are Re-Homed In The US Each Year?
Paraphrased from aspca.org, there might be over one million owners that re-home their pets each year (on average) in the US right now
How Many Pets Enter Animal Shelters Each Year?
US
[It’s estimated] that 5–7 million pets are admitted to shelters each year in the US (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Spain
More than 100,000 dogs and more than 30,000 cats enter animal shelters annually in Spain (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
How Many Pets In Shelters Are Euthanized Each Year?
Of the estimated 7.6 million animals who enter animal shelters each year, approximately 2.7 million are euthanized (aspca.org)
How Many Pets From Shelters Are Adopted Each Year?
In the US: Approximately 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted each year (1.6 million dogs and 1.6 million cats) (aspca.org)
How Many Pets From Shelters Are Returned To Their Owners?
In the US: About 710,000 animals who enter shelters as strays are returned to their owners. Of those, 620,000 are dogs and only 90,000 are cats (aspca.org)
Stats On Total Pet Ownership Numbers In The US
Read more about pet shelter stats, pet surrender and other pet statistics at aspca.org
These statistics are updated yearly, and can change
Potential Effects Of Animal & Pet Abandonment On Society
The potential effects might include:
– The physical and mental suffering of the pet
There is the neglect and loneliness that the animal has to deal with, along with basic survival such as having food, water, a safe and weather protected place to sleep and live
In extreme cases when owners are told they will have to wait or pay to drop a pet off at an animal shelter – animals can be tortured or killed by the owner
Read more about potential issues with some animal shelters and how animals can suffer at the peta.org resource
– The suffering of the owner and family members (especially children)
This can happen when owners have to unexpectedly give up their pet, or, they are forced to give up their pet because of financial factors or other factors
– Financial resources and people resources have an opportunity cost
Taxpayer dollars, and local council resources go towards managing stray animals
Donation and sponsorship dollars, and volunteer resources go towards managing shelters and rescues
Veterinary resources go towards treating abandoned animals and shelter/rescue animals
All of these costs and resources have an opportunity cost and could be
– Impact on human health and public health
There can in some instances be an impact on human health and public health with stray animals
One example is the risk of rabies for humans when there are stray animals in an area
– Impact on cities, towns and places where people and animals live
One of the major impacts can be on the aesthetics of a place if there are more stray animals living in the streets.
Financial Cost Of Stray Pets To Society
The financial cost of stray animals and animals that enter into shelters can reach into the billions annually in some countries.
Stray Animals
… the care of stray pets carries a large public and private cost (e.g. $2 billion per year in the in the US) (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
It costs approximately $150 to capture, house, feed, and eventually kill each stray animal – a cost which you, the taxpayer, eventually pay (petsforliferescue.rescuegroups.org)
Shelters & Euthanasia
[For] the impoundment, sheltering, euthanasia and subsequent disposal of homeless animals – U.S. taxpayers shell out between one to two billion dollars annually (onegreenplanet.org)
Sources
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494419/
2. https://www.aspca.org/blog/new-study-spotlights-need-help-people-keep-their-pets
3. https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/disaster-cruelty-animal-cruelty/costs-caring-seized-animals
4. https://petsforliferescue.rescuegroups.org/info/display?PageID=9515
5. https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/aspca-report-pets-given-up-to-shelters_n_56896846e4b06fa68882a134
6. https://www.petfinder.com/pet-adoption/dog-adoption/pets-relinquished-shelters/
7. https://www.nextavenue.org/why-people-give-up-beloved-pets/
8. https://www.rspcaqld.org.au/blog/breaking-news/top-reasons-people-surrendered-their-pets-2017
9. https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/about/2018-annual-report
10. https://www.peta.org/issues/animal-companion-issues/animal-shelters/
11. https://www.aspcapro.org/blog/2015/12/16/we-cant-fix-poverty-we-can-fix-%E2%80%A6
12. https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics
13. https://www.aspca.org/about-us/press-releases/more-1-million-households-forced-give-their-beloved-pet-each-year-aspca
14. https://www.americanhumane.org/position-statement/animal-population-control/
15. https://blogs.uoregon.edu/ladislayw15gateway/
16. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pet-abandonment-up-adopti_n_349626
17. https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/12-alarming-facts-about-pet-homelessness/
18. https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/pet-helpline
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