Every year, millions of healthy cats and dogs are killed in shelters around the country. This pet overpopulation crisis is the direct result of animals left unaltered in our communities.

Nearly 8-10 million cats and dogs enter shelters in the U. S. each year. This statistic is not surprising considering the possibility that, if left unaltered, one pair of cats could exponentially produce 420,000 kittens in seven years, and in six years, one female dog and her offspring could give birth to 67,000 puppies.¹ Unfortunately, the number of cats and dogs far exceeds the number of loving homes available, and consequently, 4-5 million homeless animals are put to death in U.S. shelters every year.² In 2000, in Washington State alone, approximately 147,000 cats and dogs ended up in shelters, almost 65,000 of whom were euthanized. Locally, in the Puget Sound region, close to 34,000 cats and dogs were killed in shelters in 2000; nearly half of those animals were healthy puppies and kittens.³

This is a sad and unnecessary problem of overwhelming proportion that is largely preventable if animal shelters and pet owners spayed or neutered their animals. In fact, the ONLY humane and effective way of addressing the overpopulation crisis is through spay and neuter surgery.

Spay and neuter programs form the basis of any effective animal control program. These programs not only reduce the many surplus animal births and deaths, but also lower the costs of animal control services, hence saving taxpayers money.

States and local jurisdictions that have implemented such programs have witnessed dramatic reductions in not only the number of animals coming into shelters, but also the costs associated with animal control. New Hampshire and New Jersey have accumulated data on spay and neuter programs over a period of several years, and serve as good examples. New Hampshire launched a statewide publicly funded spay and neuter program in 1994. Between 1994 and 2000, the state's eight largest shelters admitted 30,985 fewer dogs and cats than in the six years preceding the program, and saved an estimated $2.2 million (based on a per-animal sheltering cost of $105). In this same time period, New Hampshire's euthanasia rate dropped 75%.⁴

Similarly, New Jersey implemented a statewide subsidized spay and neuter program in 1984. Over a 16 year period, from 1984-1999, New Jersey experienced a 29% decline in animal impoundments, and a 10% drop in the euthanasia rate, while the number of people residing in the state increased by 8%.⁵

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) reports that due to increasing recognition that the routine killing of healthy cats and dogs is unacceptable and growing awareness that spay and neuter surgeries prevent unwanted litters, mandatory sterilization of adopted animals has become a universally accepted government policy.

In our own backyard, with the passage of a spay and neuter requirement in 1991 in King County, thousands of homeless animals have been saved. Had euthanasia statistics at the King County shelter kept pace with the human population growth, 101,106 animals would have been expected to have been euthanized between 1992 and 2000. During this same time period however, only 69,185 animals were euthanized and the lives of 31,921 animals saved.

In the decade since this policy has been implemented, euthanasia at the King County animal shelter should have been 46% higher than the actual numbers proved to be- a testament to the thousands of lives saved by the King County Spay and Neuter Ordinance 123.

Dogs who are altered are three times less likely to bite than dogs who are unaltered.⁶ The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) reports that dogs who are not spayed or neutered are more aggressive, and are involved in the majority of reported dog bite incidents.⁷ In fact, according to the ICMA, unaltered dogs account for 95% of all fatal maulings. The National Centers for Disease Control state that children make up more than 60% of all dog bite victims, and that dogs should be neutered to reduce aggressive tendencies. Additionally, unspayed females attract free-roaming males, which increases bite risk to people through increased exposure to unfamiliar dogs. Safer communities are created when government policies require animals to be spayed and neutered.

Spaying and neutering also reduces nuisance behavior. Dogs and cats who are not spayed or neutered have an increased desire to roam, to mark their territory with urine, and to fight with other animals.⁸ Animals who are altered live longer and healthier lives.

People expect their government to be fiscally responsible, and to proactively address the issue of unwanted dogs and cats in their community. Eighty-nine percent of citizens surveyed in Snohomish County support the mandatory alteration of shelter animals prior to adoption.⁹

• Adopt your companion animals from shelters, rather than buying them from pet stores or breeders.
• Spay or neuter your companion animal. For more information on low cost spay and neuter clinics in the Puget Sound area, visit the PAWS web page at www.paws.org
• Contact your local elected officials to urge legislation requiring the mandatory sterilization of companion animals.
• Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper about the tragedy of overpopulation and the importance of spaying and neutering.
• Get involved with local animal welfare groups working to end the overpopulation crisis.
• Encourage your friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers to adopt animals rather than buy, and to spay and neuter their companion animals.

PAWS is committed to seeking an end to companion animal overpopulation. To reach our Advocacy office, please contact PAWS at (425) 742-4009, Ext. 257.

"Cities and counties that have run their own subsidized sterilization programs for years consistently report that the numbers of animals handled by local shelters have stabilized or declined, even in the face of growing citizen populations."
-Animal Control Management: A Guide for Local Government, International City/County Management Association (ICMA), 2001