Overpopulation in domestic pets

Dealing with a population of unwanted domestic animals is a major concern to animal welfare and animal rights groups. Domestic animal overpopulation can also be an ecological concern. It is also a financial problem: capturing, impounding and eventual euthanasia costs taxpayers and private agencies millions of dollars each year.[4] Unwanted pets are also commonly released to the wild, sometimes contributing to severe damage to ecosystems (e.g., the effect of introduction of exotic snakes to Florida's Everglades).

Unwanted dogs and cats may have been acquired from any source. Large numbers of animals are placed in shelters by pet owners each year for reasons such as moving, allergies, behavioral problems, and lack of time or money, or the pet animal giving birth to young. Another common reason for surrendering a pet is because of milestones, like marriage or the birth of a new baby.[14]

The American Pet Products Association says that since purebreds are only 5% to 6% of the US pet cat population, the overpopulation problem is mainly due to mixed or random bred animals, and avoiding purebred cats would make little difference.[15] The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) says that 25% of the dogs who enter animal shelters are purebred.[16]

The American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) say the benefits of purebred dogs or cats include that they have been developed over time to show specific traits that are useful for hunting, rescue, assistance and other needs.[17][15] Animal buyers, including pet owners, may choose a purebred to ensure they know ahead of time the size and other characteristics a young animal will grow into.[17] The CFA also says that purebred cats may make better pets because they have a weaker hunting instinct.[15] The HSUS says that a pedigree is not a guarantee of health and temperament, and that mixed breed dogs and cats often show good characteristics of both breeds, and may be less likely to have genetic defects.[18][15]

The AKC says breeders offer services and information about the animals they sell, such as a detailed pedigree, and expertise in the health and temperament of the breed they specialize in.[17] The HSUS says animal shelters may offer animals that have already had necessary veterinary procedures, such as spaying or neutering, vaccination, deworming, and microchipping.[19]

The best practices set by the AKC for responsible breeders include screening customers so animals are placed in a good home, and follow up services including collecting long term health and development data about animals they have bred, and guaranteeing to take back any animals if their situation is not mutually beneficial for the pet and the owner, and then placing them in a new home.[17] The AKC says that their organization serves to prevent animal cruelty by suspending the benefits of their breed registry and other services from members convicted of animal cruelty, and that their inspection program actively uncovers cases of inhumane treatment of dogs.[17] The HSUS says the AKC has lobbied against laws to stop puppy mills, and that many of the breeders certified as humane by AKC inspectors were later convicted of animal cruelty offenses, while the AKC says it has favored legislation that is necessary, but worked to stop well-intentioned laws that are unenforceable or counterproductive, such as kennel population limits that may harm genetic diversity.[20][17] The HSUS does not advocate banning breeding but encourages prospective pet owners to seek a breed rescue organization rather than buying directly from a breeder.[15]

Backyard breeding and puppy mills are motivated by profit and the perceived high demand for a particular breed, often without concern for the health or welfare of the animals involved. These animals may be sold through pet stores or directly from the breeders themselves.[21] The AKC says that negligence and cruelty to animals is illegal throughout the US, and that the solution to irresponsible breeding is more effective enforcement of the law, rather than blaming responsible breeders or the demand for purebred animals.[17] The CFA's legislative stance is similar to the AKC.[22] The CFA also says that cat overpopulation is due to free roaming, unaltered pet cats, and feral cats, not purebreds.[22] The CFA says that animal control agencies have failed to publicize complete statistics on the killing of dogs and cats that are dangerously aggressive, concealing the degree to which pet animal euthanasia will always be unavoidable.[22]

Nathan Winograd of the No Kill Advocacy Center, a promoter of no-kill shelters, says that overpopulation is a myth and logical fallacy, which many animal control agencies use to avoid criticism for high numbers of killings and low numbers of adoptions.[23][24] Winograd says that traditional shelters kill animals primarily out of habit and convenience, even when space is available for the animals.[25]^:6 He says that using trap-neuter-return (TNR) for stray and feral cats, his organizations have been able to save all healthy and treatable animals, and raise their save rates to at least 90% of all impounded animals.[26]^:4[27][28] He says there are enough homes for all the homeless animals: "Based on the number of existing households with pets who have a pet die or run away, more homes potentially become available each year for cats than the number of cats who enter shelters, while more than twice as many homes potentially become available each year for dogs than the number of dogs who enter shelters."[24] Winograd says his methods, including TNR for stray and feral cats, and comprehensive changes in animal control, rescue, shelter and community efforts have succeeded in saving all healthy and treatable animals, amounting to at least 90% of all impounded animals.[27] Winograd says that hundreds of No Kill Communities have been created across the U.S., and they are increasing in number throughout the world.[29]^:1[27] In October 2014, the website "Out the Front Door" documented 212 communities in the U.S. saving more than 90% of impounded animals.[28]

Christie Keith, social media adviser for animal welfare organizations, said in 2012 that the use of the term "overpopulation" to justify shelter killings involves the logical fallacy of a tautology.[23] If a shelter with no adoption program was able to save more animals when a program was added and then enhanced, was the improvement in save rates due to a "Reduction in 'pet over-population'? Or improvement in shelter management practices?"[23] When communities are able to save more than 90% of the animals admitted, Keith asks, "Did they reduce 'pet over-population,' or did they become a no-kill community by implementing modern, proven, progressive sheltering practices?"[23]

In a 2008 article, dog advocate Loretta Baughan said that underpopulation was the reality rather than overpopulation. She said that the great majority of pet owners have spayed or neutered their pets, and some shelters were importing large numbers of dogs from other jurisdictions.[30]

• Spay and neuter
• Immunocontraception

• American Humane, on pet overpopulation
• Nathan Winograd, (2009), Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America. Almaden Books, 2nd edition. ISBN 978-0979074318.
• "Reducing the availability of food to control feral pigeons: Changes in population size on composition" (PDF). Juan Carlos Senar, Montalovo Thomas, Jordi Pascual. Pest Management Science.