Is Pet Overpopulation A Myth?

Question

I already have my own opinion, but I'm hoping that some educated people out there can give me their opinions, backed by references, for either side of the line. Are there more pets in the U.S. than there are homes, or do animal rights activists just push the idea to further their own agendas? Is overcrowding at shelters a reality or not?

And please, don't be rude to me... I'm looking for legitimate responses from both sides!

Answer 1

I read the site and i find nothing wrong. They don't support BSL, spay/neuter laws, and PETA. What these laws do is in fact take away the rights of us responsible dog owners.

In CA, overcrowded shelters is a real fact especially in certain areas such as oakland or Los Angeles. And BSL and mandatory spay and neuter laws will not change this. Over 10,00 puppies are smuggled over the border every year from mexico to be sold in pet stores. Spay neuter will not change this and will actually increase. I do know that dog euthanasia and impounding has gone down significantly compared to 20 years ago. And over the last 5 years the number of dogs euthanized has gone down a huge 45%! Cats are far far worse though unfortunately.

Areas such as santa cruz enacted a spay/neuter law in 1995 and actually dog impounding is still increasing compared to other surrounding areas without spay/neuter laws.

Why is this? Because of the enactment dog owner education programs, improved enforcement in leash laws, and low cost spaying/neutering outreach programs in the surrounding areas. Education not sterilization is the answer.

Thus the bill was dead on aug. 23, 2008!!! Hooray!

MSN will affect the responsible breeders the most. Pet stores will not be affected, and in fact increases their demands for puppies! That is why it's heavily flawed. Consider it the extermination of all working dogs i.e. therapy dogs, police dogs, livestock dogs, and rare dog breeds.

Answer 2

I don't have anything official to back me up.  What I can tell you is that my backyard is overrun with cats, and the supply has been neverending for the last 15+ years.  Some of the cats are feral but others are obviously abandoned pets.

Answer 3

There is not an overpopulation of pets... but there is an overpopulation of homeless and unwanted domestic animals.  If there wasn't, shelters and rescue groups would not be needed.

Some statistics from the Humane Society - and these are based on estimates in the US alone:

3-4 million dogs and cats are adopted from shelters every year.

6-8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year.

600,000-750,000 (or 30%) are reclaimed by their owner.

3-4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year.

There are 4,000-6,000 shelters across the country.

25% of shelter dogs are purebred.

An unspayed cat can average 3 litters per year, with 4-6 kittens per litter.

An unspayed dog can average 2 litters per year, with 6-10 puppies per litter.

Statistics like these are the main arguments for the need for everyone to spay or neuter their pets.  Overpopulation is evident when so many shelters are needed to offset the problem, yet 3-4 million animals are still being put down.  

These statistics only reflect the number of animals that make it to shelters.  It does not account for the thousands of animals who are neglected and abandoned, running feral, or live out their lives as homeless strays.  

Only 20% of kittens born in the US will find a permanent home for the rest of their lives.

Economic hardship and the rise in foreclosures is also inundating shelters with extra pets.  When families lose their homes, they are sometimes being forced to give up their pets, as they cannot find alternative housing that allows pets.  This situation will continue to get worse before it gets any better.

If you think that animal rights activists are overexaggerating the numbers, go into a shelter sometime.  I live in a small, rural county, and our local no-kill shelter has extra cages stacked around the lobby with cats and kittens.  I was on a waiting list for them to take in a couple of rescued kittens I had nursed back to health (they were found abandoned at a bar I worked at).  They ended up being #4 and 5 in our rescued cat family, as I waited months and no openings.  Sounds like a slight overpopulation problem to me!

Answer 4

people should be more responsible pet owners that way there wouldn't be a problem with animals all over the place

Answer 5

It is not a myth, there is an overpopulation in respect to available homes.  People do not fix their pets and therefore create more cute little critters with no place to go.  It's very sad.  Check out this plea for help in Utah.

http://www.utahhumane.org/Home/tabid/379...

People are dropping off unwanted litters and full grown animals that they simply "don't want".  Sometimes they have to move and can't take the animal or have lost their jobs and can't financially care for them and maybe they have even lost thier homes, due to foreclosure.  I already have three rescue cats.  Even the purebred Bengal, whose papers I have to prove his line, was a rescue. Here's some more links:

This is a good one:

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/...

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,69...

http://network.bestfriends.org/sanantoni...

Answer 6

Hi!

(Isn't it sad that you have to REQUEST! a lack of rudeness?)

I HATE! this subject. It is FACT. It is so sad... And each of your answers (4) so far is exactly right.

Some "people" -for the sake of politeness I use "people" ... are so

ignorant, selfish, and useless that they think anything that is not

THEM is disposable.

Personally, I am thinking of beginning an advocacy for the use of KILL "shelters" for them, and giving domestic pets those homes and income instead. Realistically, this will -of course- not work out,

but you do see where I'm coming from... (?)

Good luck; I hope all of yor subsequent answers are as intelligent as those preceeding mine.  }:>

Answer 7

Pet overpopulation is very real.  Take a trip to a local pound during kitten season and see for yourself. The numbers say that in order for every pet to have a home, every man, woman, and child would have to own 10 pets. Those numbers seem staggering but when you consider one female cat can have 4 litters per year of 1-14 kittens per litter and every intact male can father hundreds of kittens a day, it puts it into perspective. I have been to shelters that were so full they had cages and cardboard boxes of kittens sitting in the hallways waiting for their turn on the euthanization table. Spay/neuter is the only way we can control this.  Als, just to make it clear, animal rights and animal welfare are two very different concepts. I am against PETA's animal rights crusades but I am very much an advocate of animal welfare.

Stupid organization there.  I live in the rural south and yes, we have our share of unwanted litters.  So does Detroit and California.  Spay/Neuter is a must.  I wish it would become internationally mandatory. This is why I'm against animal rights.  An animal doesn't have the choice of driving to a clinic and picking up birth control. s*x is not a right to them. These orgs do way more harm to animals than help them.

Answer 8

It is not a myth.  If you think it is visit your local kill shelter.  See the number of animals that are put down everyday.

http://www.sniksnak.com/overpopulation.h...

http://www.americananimalwelfare.com/ove...

Answer 9

It may not be a myth, however, it is not over-population that is the problem..it is over-abandonment that is causing the issues we have today at the pound.

Most people tend to pick their dogs basing their choices on "how cute" the dog is, spend a few days on YA and you will see what I am talking about, without realizing what the dog will need later in life, without taking the dog's temperament into consideration and as a result, the dog gets dumped when it quits being "cute" or "sweet".

Hope I helped!!