WHO’S FIXING PET OVERPOPULATION?

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, September 1998:

The following table lists the number
of dogs and cats killed per thousand
human residents of North American cities,
counties, and states for which complete
recent counts are available.
Immense regional differences are
readily apparent, with the lowest ratios clustered
in the Northeast and the highest in the
South. The low Northeastern figures would
appear to be associated with high urban populations,
apartment living and resultant low
pet ownership rates; cold winters, depressing
the survival rate of feral kittens; a relatively
strong humane infrastructure to encourage
neutering; and animal control agencies which
have historically not had a mandate to pick up
free-roaming cats. The high Southern figures
conversely reflect suburban populations, high
pet ownership, warm winters, and a general
lack of access to low-cost neutering.

Of most interest are jurisdictions
whose killing ratios are significantly below
the regional norms. Besides the well-known
example of San Francisco, which is killing
animals at a third the California state rate,
Seattle, Austin, Houston, and Orlando stand
out for killing at well below their respective
state rates. The figures from the three latter
cities, in particular, reflect the success of
determined local low-cost neutering projects,
and show what such projects can accomplish.
The huge gap between the killing
ratios in Calgary and Montreal, whose pet
ownership rates and weather would appear
closely comparable, reflects the serious
investment of the former in strong humane
and animal control agencies, compared with
long history of civic indifference in the latter.

J U RISDI CTION Per 1,000
Y ear
Bozeman/Gallatin Cty 1. 6
(1997)
NEW YORK 5 .4 mixed
CONNECTICUT 5 .7 m ixe d
San Francisco 5.8 (1997)
New York City 5.8 (1997)
MASSACHUSET TS 5.9
mixed
NEW JERSEY 6 .0 (1996)
RHODE ISLAND 6.6 mixed
Calgar y 6.9 (1 997)
San Diego (city/cty) 7.5
(1994)
Seattle 7.8 (1994)
VERMONT 8.0 mixed
Denver 9.4 (1996)
Chicago 9.8 (1997)
NEW HAMPSHIR E 10.4
mixed
Salt Lake City 10.7 (1996)
D allas 11.2 (1994)
Hot Springs 11.9 (1994)
Milwaukee 11.9 (1996)
Columbus (Ohi o) 11.9
(1997)
Orange County (Calif.) 12.0
(1995)
Portland/Multnomah Cty 12.2
(1997)
Santa Clara Cty (Ca.) 13.6
(1997)
WASHINGTON 14.3
(1994)
UTAH 14.4 (1996)
OREGON 14.9 (1996)
Riverside 15.9 (1997 )
Los Angeles (city/cty) 16.7
(1997)
MARYLAND 17.0 mixe d
IOWA 17.1 mixe d
Kansas City metro ar ea 17.2
(1997)
L as Veg as 17.4 (1997)
St. Louis metro area 17.6
(1997)
CALIFORNIA 18.0 (1997 )
UNITED STATES 18.1
(1997)
COLORADO 18.6 mixed
OH IO 18.9 (1996)
P hiladelphia 19.7 (1997)
I NDIANA 22.2 mixe d
Austin/San M ar co s 22.5
(1997)
Orlando 24.7 (1997)
Indi anapolis 27.0 (1997)
T ulsa 27.2 (1994)
New Orleans/Jefferson 27. 7