WHO’S FIXING PET OVERPOPULATION?

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 1999:

The following table lists the number of
dogs and cats killed per thousand humans in
North American cities, counties, and states
where 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,
except around Washington D.C.
The low Northeastern and Washington
D.C. area figures would appear to be associated
with high urban populations, apartment living
and resultant low pet ownership rates; cold winters,
the D.C. area excepted, which depress the
survival rate of late-born feral kittens and also
suppress estrus in dogs and cats, decreasing the
frequency with which they bear litters; a relatively
strong humane infrastructure to encourage neutering;

and animal control agencies which have
historically not had a mandate to pick up freeroaming
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 do.
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 URIS DICTI ON Per 1, 00 0
Y ear
Bozeman/Gallatin Cty (MT) 1.6
(1997)
F airfax County (VA) 2.1
(1998)
Montgomery County (MD) 3.0
(1998)
San F rancisco 5.0 (1998)
NEW HAMPSHIR E 5.2
(1997)
NEW YORK 5.4 mixed
Howard Count y (MD) 5.5
(1998)
CONNECTICUT 5.7 mixed
Calgar y 5.8 (1998)
New York City 5.8 (1997)
MASSAC HU SETTS 5 .9
mixed
NEW JERSEY 6 .0 (1996)
King County (WA) 6.0
(1997)
Salt Lake City 6.5 (1998)
RHODE ISLAND 6 .6 mixed
Orange County (CA) 6.7
(1998)
Seattle 7.8 (1994)
San Diego (city/county) 8.0
(1998)
VERMONT 8.0 mixe d
Loudoin County (VA) 8.5
(1998)
Plac er County (CA ) 8.6 (1997 )
Anne Arundel County (MD) 9.2
(1998)
Denver 9.4 (1996)
Chicago 9.8 (1997)
Alexandria (VA) 10.9 (1998)
P rince George Cnty (MD) 11.7
(1998)
Hot Springs 11.9 (1994)
Milwaukee 11.9 (1996)
Columbus (OH) 11. 9
(1997)
Portland/Multnomah C nt y 12.2
(1997)
P rince William Cnty (VA) 13.7
(1998)
Santa Clara Co unty (CA) 13.6
(1997)
F ranklin Count y (OH) 13. 6
(1997)
Chatham County ( GA) 13.9
(1998)
WASHINGTO N 14.3
(1994)
UTAH 14.4 (1996)
Sacram ent o 15.1 (1998 )
Eugene 15.2 (1997)
ORE GO N 15.8 (1997)
Riverside (CA ) 15.9 (1997)
DeKalb County ( GA) 16. 4
(1998)
Los A ng eles (city/cnty) 16.7
(1997)
MARYLAND 17.0 mixe d
IOWA 17.1 mixe d
Kansas City metro area 17.2
(1997)
Las Vegas 17.4 (1997)
J U RISDI CTION Per 1, 00 0
Y ear
St. Louis metro area 17.8
(1998)
CALIFORNIA 18.0 (1997 )
UNITED STATES 18.1
(1997)
C OLORADO 18.6 mixed
OHIO 18.9 (1996)
VIRGINIA 19.2 (1998)
Philadelphia 19.7 (1997)
Kansas City (MO) 20.1
(1997)
Richmond (VA) 20. 2
(1998)
M uskegon Cty. (MI) 21.1
(1998)
Denton (TX) 21.9 (1997)
I NDIANA 22.2 mixe d
Phoenix/Mesa 22.3 (1998)
Austin/San M arcos 22.5
(1997)
New Hanover County (NC) 22.6
(1998)
Orlando 24.7 (1997)
Indianapolis 26.8 (1998)
Knox Count y (TN) 26.8
(1998)
T ulsa 27.2 (1994)
New Orleans/Jefferson 27. 7
(1995)
Charleston (SC) 28.0 (1998)