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JULY-AUGUST 2003

Latest data shows shelter killing down to 4.2 million/year

Continued rapid progress against pet overpopulation in some of the fastest-growing parts of the South, the Sunbelt and the Midwest combined with continued low shelter killing volume in the Northeast and Northwest to bring estimated total U.S. shelter killing in 2002 down to 4.2 million­­a record low.

Our 2002 estimate is projected from 2000-2002 data covering every major shelter in cities and states including 39% of the current U.S. human population of 281 million.

If 1999 data is included to get better representation from the South, Sunbelt, and Midwest, the projection edges up to 4.3 million. The ANIMAL PEOPLE projected toll in 2001 was 4.4 million, and the tolls in 1999 and 2000 were almost identical, rounding off to 4.5 million and 4.6 million.

ANIMAL PEOPLE has produced annual estimates of U.S. shelter killing, projected from the latest available state and city data, since 1993. We used all data available in 1997 and 1998. Otherwise, we have used only data from the three latest fiscal years.

Estimated U.S. shelter killing in 1992 was 5.7 million--about a third of the 17.8 million toll estimated in 1985 by the American Humane Association. The AHA estimate was probably too high, but ANIMAL PEOPLE has assembled historical data which suggests that it would have been accurate circa 1980, and that U.S. shelter killing probably peaked at about 23.4 million in 1970.

As of 1970, U.S. animal shelters collectively killed 115 dogs and cats per 1,000 U.S. human residents. Currently the rate of killing is between 14.8 and 15.3 per 1,000 U.S. human residents, depending on whether or not the projection includes 1999 data.

Evaluating the data fairly and in context requires taking into account the evident regional differences. Most of the lowest rates of shelter killing per 1,000 humans are clustered in the Northeast, with the highest in the South, except around Washington D.C. and in some of the more affluent parts of Florida.

The low Northeastern and D.C. area figures appear to result from high-density living, associated with low rates of pet-keeping; cold winters, the D.C. area excepted, which inhibit the survival of late-born feral kittens and suppress estrus in dogs and cats, decreasing their litter frequency; a relatively strong humane infrastructure to encourage neutering; and animal control agencies which have historically not picked up free-roaming cats.

The high Southern figures conversely reflect suburban populations, more petkeeping, warm winters, and a general lack of access to low-cost neutering.

Animal population analysts Peter Marsh and Bob Christiansen have found in separate studies of data from California, Georgia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and North Carolina that the poorest counties in each state kill dogs and cats at up to four times the rate of the richest.

LOCATION	Animals killed per 1000 people	YEAR	Population in 1000s	Animals killed
Ithaca NY	1.9	2002	97	185
NEW HAMPSHIRE	2.2	2000	1,201	2,575
San Francisco	2.5	2002	771	1,892
New York City	4.6	2001	8,009	36,500
San Diego	4.9	2002	2,863	14,019
NEW JERSEY	5.8	2000	8,414	48,551
MAINE	6.3	2001	1,275	8,000
Rochester NY	6.3	1999	716	4,511
Los Angeles	7.1	2002	3,400	95,000
Richmond, VA	7.1	2002	265	1,884
COLORADO	8.3	2001	4,301	19,340
Missoula	8.4	2000	89	748
Buffalo/Erie	8.5	2000	926	7,871
Lawrence KS	8.6	2000	78	671
MARYLAND	8.7	2000	5,172	45,000
Pittsburgh	9.5	2001	1,270	12,000
Chicago	10.4	2002	2,896	30,000
Milwaukee	10.5	1999	912	9,576
Harford Cty MD	11.2	2002	219	2,448
Seattle	11.2	1999	1,655	18,536
OREGON	11.5	2001	3,421	40,505
Anchorage AK	11.6	1999	255	2,958
Contra Costa	11.8	2000	931	11,000
Orlando/Orange	12.6	2000	896	11,290
Cincinnati	13.1	2002	835	10,951
Sacramento	13.4	2002	1,269	17,000
St. Louis	13.4	2001	1,631	21,855
St. Petersburg	13.7	2001	922	12,600
Lodi, CA	13.9	2002	57	790
Las Vegas	13.9	1999	1,162	16,152
Ft. Laud/Miami	14.1	2001	5,007	70,514
Collier Cty FL	14.2	2001	266	3,785
Stillwater OK	14.3	1999	39	558
Ft. Lauderdale	14.6	2000	1,623	23,696
Riverside CA	14	2002	1,531	21,443
U.S. AVE. LOW	14.8	(sample of 3)		9%)
Reno/Washoe NV	15.2	2000	320	4,864
U.S. AVE. HIGH	15.3	(sample of 4)		7%)
Lincoln NE	15.3	2001	263	4,018
Carson City NV	15.5	1999	49	760
Butler Cty OH	15.8	2002	835	5,329
Payette ID	16.6	2002	60	1,000
Clark Cnty WA	17.4	2001	345	6,000
Lewisville TX	17.5	2001	78	1,367
Columbia SC	17.6	2001	321	5,666
Honolulu Cnty	17.7	2000	865	15,309
UTAH	17.8	2002	2,233	39,772
Minneapolis	17.9	2002	1,115	20,000
Lee County FL	18.7	2002	463	8,667
VIRGINIA	18.8	2001	7,079	32,978
Austin TX	19.6	1999	731	14,328
New Orleans	20	2000	485	9,700
Phoenix/Mesa	20.3	1999	2,784	56,515
Clermnt Cty OH	20.3	2002	182	3,700
Twin Falls ID	20.6	2001	35	721
Knoxville	20.9	2001	382	8
Tucson/Pima	21.3	2001	844	18,000
Volusia FL	21.6	2001	443	9,563
Houston	22	2000	3,400	74,825
Baton Rouge	22.3	2000	212	4,728
Atlanta region	22.4	2001	4,152	94,256
South Bend IN	22.6	2001	265	6,001
Sioux Falls SC	22.6	2001	148	3,345
Indianapolis	22.7	2001	860	19,603
Pasco Cnty FL	22.8	2001	345	7,880
Richland OH	23.1	1999	127	2,933
Denton TX	24.2	2001	81	1,956
Fort Worth	25	2002	535	13,397
Birmingham	26.3	2000	662	17,400
Warren Cty OH	27.1	2002	169	4,572
Little Rock	28.4	1999	178	5,055
Shelby Cnty AL	28.4	1999	141	4,004
Victorville CA	28.6	2002	300	8,598
El Paso TX	29.4	2001	680	20,000
Evansville IN	29.2	2001	121	3,561
Dearborn IN	29.7	2000	14	416
Jefferson LA	30.8	2000	448	13,786
Chilicothe MO	31.1	2001	15	453
Longview WA	31.3	2002	80	2,500
Oklahoma City	31.6	2001	506	16,000
Dallas	31.9	2000	2,062	65,810
Tampa	32.4	2002	1,000	32,431
San Antonio	33	2001	1,393	46,000
Jacksonville	34	2000	779	26,486
Wichita	34.9	1999	448	15,635
Lake County FL	35	2000	210	7,345
NORTH CAROLINA	35	1999	7,547	26,415
Chatanooga	36.1	2001	308	11,112
Charleston SC	36.4	2001	549	20,000
Hutchinson KS	37.1	2001	41	1,521
Merced CA	37.9	2001	211	8,000
Matanuska AK	38.6	1999	56	2,162
Inland Emp. CA	39.5	1999	3,114	23,003