Rates of Euthanasia by Public Shelters

by Steve Reiss (stevenreiss@scienbizippc.com)

A 1997 survey of 1000 shelters by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy is instructive. Those shelters alone handled 4.3 million animals, with 64% (2.7 million) of the animals euthanized because of overcrowding, sickness, injury, or aggression. 13 Further survey results showed that, at those shelters, 56% of dogs and 71% of cats were euthanized, 25% of dogs and 24% of cats were adopted, and only 15.8% of dogs and 2% of cats were reclaimed by their owners.

67 Syracuse L. Rev. 115, *116