Latest U.S. data shows shelter killing is down to 4.5 million a year––25% of 1985!

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, September 2000:

The U.S. ended the 20th century
killing 4.5 million dogs and cats in animal
shelters, or 16.6 per 1,000 people––just 25%
of the 17.8 million toll estimated by the
American Humane Association in 1985.
Included was an apparent 22% drop
between 1994, when San Francisco became
the first U.S. city to stop killing dogs and cats
for population control, and 1999, when
Maddie’s Fund, created by PeopleSoft magnates
Dave and Cheryl Duffield, dedicated
$200 million to make the U.S. a no-kill nation.
Hundreds of organizations and individuals
have helped us compile the table at
right. It lists the number of dogs and cats
killed per 1,000 humans in the shelters serving
all North American cities, counties, and states
for which we have recent counts.

Three estimates of total U.S. shelter
killing are offered: the projection from the
city and county surveys, covering 35% of the
U.S. human population, whose data is under
two years old on average; the projection from
the latest state counts, now an average of six
years old, covering 57% of the U.S. human
population; and a projection from all data.
The state counts project shelter
killing of 5.8 million dogs and cats per year:
probably accurate in 1994. The aggregate projects
shelter killing of 5.3 million dogs and
cats per year: our estimate for 1996.
Huge regional differences are readily
apparent in all of the data. The lowest ratios
are clustered in the Northeast and the highest
in the South, except around Washington D.C.
The low Northeastern and D.C. area
figures appear to result from high-density living,
associated with low rates of pet-keeping;
cold winters, the D.C. area excepted, which
inhibit the survival of late-born feral kittens
and suppress estrus in dogs and cats, decreasing
their litter frequency; a relatively strong
humane infrastructure to encourage neutering;
and animal control agencies which have historically
not picked 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. In North
Carolina––and in California, New Hampshire,
and New Jersey––animal population analysts
Bob Christiansen and Peter Marsh have found
that the poorest counties kill dogs and cats at
up to four times the rate of the richest.
We tried to include Canadian data,
but found little from the eastern half of the
nation. The gulf between the killing ratios in
western Canada and Montreal, despite comparable
pet ownership rates and weather,
appears to reflect the much more serious
investment of western Canadian cities in
humane societies and animal control service.

JURISDICTION Anmls/1,000 ppl Yr 1,000 ppl
Bozeman (MT) 1.6 1997 62
Fairfax Cty (VA) 2.1 1998 929
Montgmry Cty. (MD) 3.0 1998 841
Vancouver, B.C. 3.3 1998 1,832
San Francisco 3.6 2000 746
Montgmry Cty (VA) 3.7 1999 78
NEW HAMPSHIRE 5.2 1997 1,185
Calgary, Alberta 5.2 1999 822
NEW YORK 5.4 mixed 18,175
Howard County (MD) 5.5 1998 236
CONNECTICUT 5.7 mixed 3,274
New York City 5.8 1997 7,420
MASSACHUSETTS 5.9 mixed 6,147
King County (WA) 6.0 1997 1,655
Rochester (NY) 6.3 1999 716
Salt Lake City 6.5 1998 851
NEW JERSEY 6.6 1998 8,115
RHODE ISLAND 6.6 mixed 989
Orange County (CA) 6.7 1998 2,722
Winnipeg, Manitoba 7.0 1998 667
San Diego 8.0 1998 2,781
VERMONT 8.0 mixed 591
Loudoin Cnty (VA) 8.5 1998 144
Placer County (CA) 8.6 1997 229
Edmonton, Alberta 9.1 1998 863
Arundel Cnty (MD) 9.2 1998 476
Denver 9.4 1996 499
Chicago 9.8 1997 5,190
Alexandria (VA) 10.9 1998 118
Seattle 11.2 1999 1,655

JURISDICTION Anmls/1,000 ppl Yr 1,000 ppl
Anchorage (AK) 11.6 1999 255
George Cnty (MD) 11.7 1998 778
Hot Springs 11.9 1994 38
Milwaukee 11.9 1996 912
Columbus (OH) 11.9 1997 670
Portland (OR) 12.2 1997 631
William Cnty (VA) 13.7 1998 260
San Jose (CA) 13.6 1997 1,641
Frankln Cnty (OH) 13.6 1997 1,021
Chatham Cnty (GA) 13.9 1998 226
Las Vegas 13.9 1999 1,162
Stillwater (OK) 14.3 1999 39
WASHINGTON 14.3 1994 5,689
Los Angeles 14.4 1999 9,214
Sacramento 15.1 1998 1,144
Eugene 15.2 1997 128
Carson City (NV) 15.5 1999 49
St. Louis 15.6 1999 999
OREGON 15.8 1997 3,282
Pittsburgh (PA) 15.8 1999 341
Riverside (CA) 15.9 1997 11,479
DeKalb Cnty (GA) 16.4 1998 594

U .S. CITY DATA 16.6 1998
35%U.S.
MARYLAND 17.0 mixed 5,135
IOWA 17.1 mixed 2,863
Kansas City subs 17.2 1997 1,141
Charlotte 17.5 1999 631
CALIFORNIA 18.0 1997 32,667
VIRGINIA 18.4 1999 6,791
COLORADO 18.6 mixed 3,971
OHIO 18.9 1996 11,210

U .S. ALL DATA 19.4 1996
92%U.S.
Austin (TX) 19.6 1999 731
Philadelphia 19.7 1997 1,436
Kansas City (MO) 20.1 1997 442
Richmond (VA) 20.2 1998 194
Orlando 20.3 1999 181
Lunenburg (VA) 20.3 1999 12
Phoenix/Mesa 20.3 1999 2,784

U .S. STATE DATA 21.1 1994
57%U.S.
Muskegon Cty.(MI) 21.1 1998 39
UTAH 21.9 1999 2,100
Denton (TX) 21.9 1997 384
INDIANA 22.2 mixed 5,899

JURISDICTION Anmls/1,000 ppl Yr 1,000 ppl

New Hanover (NC) 22.6 1998 150
Richlnd Cnty (OH) 23.1 1999 127
Baton Rouge 24.3 1999 212
Knoxville 24.5 1999 367
Piitsylvania (VA) 25.0 1999 57
Indianapolis 26.8 1998 741
Tulsa 27.2 1994 544
New Orleans 27.7 1995 1,285
Charleston (SC) 28.0 1998 317
Houston 28.2 1995 1,797
Little Rock 28.4 1999 178
Shelby Cnty (AL) 28.4 1999 141
El Paso (TX) 28.5 1999 7037
Cincinnati area 28.9 1997 1,818
Rockingham (NC) 29.0 1994 90
Ogden metro area 30.5 1996 184
Jefferson Parish 30.9 1998 451
Greenville 31.3 1997 388
Dallas 31.1 1997 1,076
TEXAS 31.9 mixed 19,760
Fort Worth 32.1 1997 1,355
Miami/Dade Cnty 33.0 1997 2,152
Atlanta 34.7 1998 404
Wichita/Sedgewick 34.9 1999 448
NORTH CAROLINA 35.0 1999 7,547
Columbus (GA) 35.6 1998 1,346
Albuquerque 35.7 1998 419
Pueblo (CO) 35.7 1999 135
Pottawatomie (KS) 36.4 1998 19
Matanuska (AK) 38.6 1999 56
Inland Empire 39.5 1999 3,114
Oklahoma City 39.8 1998 472
Lafayette Parish 40.7 1999 189
Tucson/Pima Cnty 42.9 1997 791
Waynesboro (GA) 43.1 1998 23
Montreal 43.3 1993 3,327
FLORIDA 44.0 1996 14,916
Corpus Christi 44.4 1998 316
Haywood Cnty (NC) 45.4 1999 51
Davidson Cty (NC) 46.0 1998 141
Greensville (VA) 46.5 1999 11
San Antonio 46.8 1998 1,353
Fayetteville (AR) 49.8 1998 53
Augusta 56.9 1999 191
Mobile Cnty (AL) 70.0 1999 399
Kershaw Cnty (SC) 73.4 1998 49
Ruthrfrd Cty (TN) 84.8 1998 166