The facts
There are approximately 14,000 independent animal shelters in the United States and no national organization to reel them all in and keep track of the work they are doing. The ASPCA estimates that 7.6 million animals enter animal shelters every year nationwide.According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), in 2012, 83.3 million dogs were owned and 95.6 million cats.In Manhattan, there is an 87 percent adoption rate, according to the local animal shelter, T.Russel Reitz.
Almost 4 million cats and dogs are adopted from shelters throughout the United States each year.According to Kathe Garbrick, a volunteer for Riley County Humane Society, the animal shelter in Manhattan has been successful at finding pets new homes.The Humane Society of the United States records show that pet ownership has more than tripled since the 1970s. In 2012, 62 percent of American households had at least one pet.There are no bans within the Manhattan area for dangerous animals.
However, dog breeds that have been known to be aggressive such as pit bulls must be registered with the cityAccording to the ASPCA, it is impossible to accurately estimate how many stray pets there are in the United States because there are too many to keep track of. Many strays are lost pets that are not kept indoors properly and are without identification. Many cats are acquired as strays – 35 percent.
Garbrick said that Manhattan does not have a stray problem because most strays are taken in by the humane society or the animal shelter. She said the humane society has a drop-off where pets can be surrendered to the shelters.
U.S. pet-ownership estimates from the APPA for 2012:
Dogs
83.3 million—Number of owned dogs
47 percent—Percentage of households that own at least one dog
70 percent—Percentage of owners with one dog
20 percent—Percentage of owners with two dogs
10 percent—Percentage of owners with three or more dogs
1.47—Average number of owned dogs per household
20 percent—Percentage of owned dogs who were adopted from animal shelters
$231—Average annual amount spent by dog owners on routine veterinary visits
83 percent—Percentage of owned dogs who are spayed or neutered
Even—Proportion of male to female owned dogs
Cats
95.6 million—Number of owned cats
46 percent—Percentage of owners with one cat
31 percent—Percentage of owners with two cats
24 percent—Percentage of owners with three or more cats
2.11—Average number of owned cats per household
26 percent—Percentage of owned cats who were adopted from an animal shelter
$193—Average annual amount spent by cat owners on routine veterinary visits
91 percent—Percentage of owned cats who are spayed or neutered
73 percent vs. 62 percent—The difference in number of owned female cats and owned male cats, respectively
U.S. shelter and adoption estimates for 2012-13. There is no central data reporting system for U.S. animal shelters and rescues.These estimates are based on information provided by the (former) National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy.Just as the U.S. has come a long way over the last few decades in terms of increased pet ownership, it's also progressed in terms of euthanasia. The number of dogs and cats euthanized each year in shelters has decreased, from 12–20 million to an estimated 3–4 million.
However, there's still work to do:
An estimated 2.7 million healthy shelter pets are not adopted each year, and only about 30 percent of pets in homes come from shelters or rescues.
3,500—Number of animal shelters
6 to 8 million—Number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year
25 percent—Percentage of purebred dogs in shelters
3 to 4 million—Number cats and dogs adopted from shelters each year
2.7 million—Number of adoptable cats and dogs euthanized in shelters each year
30 percent—Percentage of shelter dogs reclaimed by their owners
2 to 5 percent—Percentage of shelter cats reclaimed by owners