Most recent data shows shelter euthanasias down to 5.1 million a year
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 1996:
In October 1993, ANIMAL PEOPLE projected from about half of the data below that the annual U.S. shelter euthanasia toll could be as low as 5.1 million dogs and
cats per year––approximately a third of the then-prevalent guesstimates by national organizations. Adding in additional shelter-by-shelter intake and euthanasia statistics, compiled
over the past five years by a variety of different groups and individuals, confirms the estimate; of states for which multiple counts are available, only Indiana shows a rising
euthanasia toll, and that trend may have been reversed since the most recent available data was collected. Because not all the surveyors asked the same questions, figures are missing
from some of the columns. Dog and cat intake add up to a slightly different figure than total intake in some cases because some shelters report rounded numbers for some categories
rather than exact figures, producing a minor cumulative distortion. The New York data represents all shelters serving 87% of the human population, projected to cover the whole population
of the state. The Ohio data represents animal control shelters covering 34% of the state, projected to cover the whole population of the state.
State %/U.S. Dog intak e Cat intake Total %/pets Dogs euth. Cats euth. Total euth. % pets Year / Data c ompiled by
CA 12% 533,000 504,000 1,037,000 8.0% 306,000 411,000 717,000 5.5% 1991, California Veterinary Public Health Unit.
CO 1% 84.365 58,867 143,232 8.1% 31,666 38,100 69,766 4.0% 1992, Humane Society of the Pike’s Peak Region.
CT 1% 28,192 18,845 47,037 6,149 12,487 18,635 1992, New England Fed. of Humane Societies.
FL 5% 370,073 1993, Florida Animal Control Association.
IA 1% 43,573 32,237 77,810 6.5% 23,094 24,700 48,653 4.0% 1991, Iowa Federation of Humane Societies.
IN 2% 188,344 129,403 1991, Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana.
MA 2% 23,591 50,156 73,747 1,807 34,159 35,965 1992, New England Fed. of Humane Societies.
MD 2% 116,427 6.4% 85,602 4.9% 1992, Calvert Animal Rescue League.
ME .5% 9,251 18,963 28,214 2,574 13,089 15,663 1992, New England Fed. of Humane Societies.
NH .4% 8,916 14,265 23,181 2,177 9,332 11,509 1992, New England Fed. of Humane Societies.
NJ 3% 145,711 5.6% 75,263 2.9% 1991, New Jersey Department of Public Health.
NY 7% 108,821 107,582 217,590 4.2% 38,492 59,735 98,714 1.9% 1991, Elizabeth Forel, for Spay/USA.
OH 4% 196,683 134,764 1992, Diana Nolen
OR 1% 88,984 6.7% 19,908 25,337 45,245 1994, Oregon Animal Welfare Alliance.
TX 7% 759,340 8.9% 597,591 7.0% 1990, Texas Humane Information Network.
RI .4% 6,087 8,644 14,731 1,257 5,370 6,627 1992, New England Fed. of Humane Societies.
WA 2% 72,330 75,283 147,613 48,086 66,404 77,668 1994, Progressive Animal Welfare Society.
VT .2% 3,177 7,400 10,627 1,072 4,648 5,720 1992, New England Fed. of Humane Societies
U.S.: 51.5% 3,549,168 3,259,615 6,702,340 1,898,603 2,382,536 5,114,107
Percentages of the national pet population are taken from The Veterinary Service Market for Companion Animals 1991, published by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
––Phil Arkow & Merritt Clifton
