How to Reduce the Numbers of Homeless Pets

There are no accurate statistics for the numbers of homeless pets. While we might know how many are in shelters, we cannot fathom how many are living in the shadows of our society, surviving on whatever they can, living feral, or wild, in unseen corners of the city, state, or country.

Every year shelters euthanize millions of homeless pets. In the USA alone, more than five million cats, and two million dogs are euthanized every year as unwanted pets. Others are killed by their people who are tired of nuisance strays, or by owners who find themselves burdened with an other unwanted litter. Countless others suffer to die from starvation, disease, or by being victims of other hungry animals.

There is only one answer to how to end pet homelessness, and that is by spaying and neutering the pets already in our care. Building more shelters is not the answer. Having “no-kill” shelters is not the answer. Putting a pet into a foster home is not the answer. Shelter pets are still homeless.

 photo from Wikimedia

A female cat can have two litters a year, with four kittens per litter, this means a pair of cats, can become ten in a years time. Given another year, and this number is now significantly higher because the kittens could potentially reproduce too. In only two years, you could have over one hundred cats.

Dogs are a problem too, larger breeds have larger litters, and are not as popular as smaller dogs are. However, since people tend to keep their dogs in their yard, it decreases the numbers of unwanted litters. Large breed feral (domestic pets who are turned loose) dogs are creating real problems in areas where they have formed packs.

 As long as more pets are produced every year than there are homes wanting pets, there will always be a surplus of homeless pets.  There will never be enough shelter space to house all the unwanted animals.  Euthanasia is required to control the numbers, and always will be... Unless...

Owner education is the key, owners must understand that spaying and neutering is not only good for their pet (there are many positive health benefits) but is good for all pets. There is no reason to let a “cute” pet breed just to see what its offspring will look like. Every kitten or pup born that does find a home, simply means that one other did not get so lucky.

Reputable breeders are those who make sure their pets are breeding quality, they screen potential new owners prior to selling a pup or kitten. Additionally they will stand behind any offspring they produce. If the new owner has a problem with a pet, they are to return it to the breeder. Reputable breeders to not breed their pets until they have buyers lined up. As such reputable breeders never contribute to the unwanted pet population, but other people do.

It should be illegal to give unfixed (not spayed or not neutered) pets away. Many people who take these pets have no intention of getting them spayed or neutered, and some will not even take care to make sure the pet remains indoors or in a secure yard so that it cannot breed. Most people who give pets away free ask for “good homes” but seldom check to see how good the home really is. When people lose a “free kitten” its cheaper for them to go get another free one rather than pay to recover the lost one from the shelter, after all they have invested no money into it.

Typically it is cheaper to adopt a pet from an animal shelter, than it is to accept a “free” pet who has not had any medical done to it, and have that taken care of on your own. As such there is no reason why anyone would want a “free” pet (except in the case of older ones who are spayed or neutered already).

Identification on pets does not stop them from going missing, but does help them to be reunited with their owners if they do go missing. Microchips and tattoos are permanent identification solutions that are worth consideration by pet owners. However any good owner would check the shelter for their lost pet whether it had identification on it or not, so identification alone will not end pet homelessness.

Back to square one. The only way to stop pet homelessness is to make sure the pets that we have get spayed and neutered so they do not continue the cycle of more pets being born than there are homes for. We need to make sure that pets only go to good homes who will spay and neuter. We need to make sure the only people who breed pets are those who will not breed unless they have homes lined up for their pets young, and who will stand behind those pets for their lifetime.

Does this sound too controlling or impossible? Perhaps, but until everyone who has allowed their pets to breed has been there when a veterinarian has to euthanize a litter of unwanted pets, it is the only solution.