You may not know that October
is National Adopt-a-Dog Month, the American Humane Association’s push to
promote awareness and adoption of our little four-legged furry friends. There
are many benefits to dog ownership and adoption; to get more exercise, have a
companion, to keep your home and children safer, and even assist those people
with physical or emotional disabilities. But if you’ve ever owned a dog then
you know, their heartwarming excitement and tail wagging when you come home
from work is all the reason you need!
To help promote dog ownership and
especially responsible adoption, we bring you 25 facts and figures for National
Adopt- a-Dog month.
1. As of 2012, there are
approximately 164 million household pets in the United States.
2. That number includes an estimated
83.3 million pet dogs.
3. That’s way up from the 1970’s,
when there were only about 67 million household pets.
4. 62% of American households have at
least one pet and 47% of households have at least one dog.
5. According to the American Pet
Product Association, Americans spend $50 billion annually on their dogs, cats,
and other household pets.
6. 70% of dog owners have one dog,
20% have two, and 10% of dog owners have three or more dogs.
7. 20-30% of dogs that are now
household pets were adopted from animal shelters or rescues.
8. 83% of pet dogs are spayed or
neutered, while only 10% of dogs received by shelters are spayed or neutered.
9. How much spaying or neutering cost?
A lot less than raising a litter of puppies for a year! The average healthy dog
has one litter a year with an average of four to six puppies.
10. Dog owners spend an average of
$231 annually on routine veterinary visits.
11. The average cost a dog owner
incurs for food, supplies, medical care and training is $400 to $700 annually.
12. According to a National Council on
Pet Populations study, the number of dogs and cats euthanized in shelters every
year has decreased, from about 12-20 million a year in the 1970s to about 3-4
million now.
13. That is still a huge number of
dogs and cats euthanized every year, and an estimated 2.7 million healthy and
adoptable shelter pets are not claimed each year.
14. There are about 13,600 community animal
shelters in the United States, though they don’t operate under one governing
body or national organization.
15. The terms, “human society,” and
“SPCA” are generic, which means any independent shelter can use them in their
names.
16. Each year, approximately 7.6 dogs
and cats enter shelters.
17. About 35%, or 2.7 million are adopted.
26% are returned to their owners, and 31% of shelter dogs are euthanized.
18. 5 in 10 shelter dogs are
euthanized because no one adopts them.
19. Homeless animals outnumber
homeless people 5 to 1.
20. Many of the dogs that end up in
community shelters are found and reclaimed by their owners, an estimated 30% in
some areas! That adds up to about 542,000 happy stories of lost dogs reunited
with their owners every year.
21. About 40% of new owners who adopt
learn about their pet through word or mouth, according to the American
Veterinary Medical Association.
22. How do pet owners find their dogs?
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association:
40% of new owners learn about
their pet through word or mouth,
28% purchase through a breeder,
and
29% are adopted from a shelter.
23. Why do people abandon their dogs?
According to the American Humane Association, the most common reasons are:
29% Their place of residence does
not allow pets.
10% They don’t have enough time.
10% The dog’s owners died or got
divorced.
10% The dog has behavioral issues.
24. Do you assume that animal shelters
will only have mutts? In fact, 25% of adoptable dogs in shelters are purebred!
25. 65% of pet owners acquire their
dogs for free or at a nominal cost.
***
**If you’re not convinced yet that dog adoption is a worthy
and needed cause, spend an afternoon and take your family down to one of these
local animal shelters to see what kinds of dogs are available for adoption.
Chances are, you might just drive home with a new member of the family!
Thank you for sharing this! I agree with your post, and having a pet adoption means your giving a hope to the rescued animals that needs love and someone will take care of them.
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