Animal Rights organizations, namely HSUS and PeTA, manipulate data to support claims of "pet overpopulation" and high euthanasia rates. These organizations use a lot of sensationalism and emotion to make data that contradicts their claims appear to support their claims. What follows is the data used by these organizations and the facts behind the dramatic nonsense spewed in Animal Rights.

The HSUS uses pet population data from The National Council on Pet Population, Study and Policy, http://www.petpopulation.org/. The data may be accurate, although it may also be skewed since the Council may have only polled larger shelters with higher kill rates. The data would show lower numbers if smaller shelters with lower kill rates were included that had been excluded. So, if the data is skewed, then the numbers used by HSUS are exaggerated, but even with exaggerated numbers, there is no evidence of "pet overpopulation."

HSUS estimates that the euthanasia rates for dogs and cats per year is 3-4,000.000,
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/overpopulat....

Divide the above number by the estimate for the total dog and cat population in the U.S., 163,100,000 dogs and cats,
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownersh....

This data shows that only 1.84 to 2.45 percent (approximately 2.15 percent) of the U.S. dog and cat population is euthanized per year. The data does not exclude humane euthanasia for very old animals, very sick or injured animals, dangerous animals, or animals euthanized at the request of their owners, nor does it exclude euthanasia of feral cats.

The pet population data sheet from HSUS also estimates that there are only a scant few (4,000-6,000) shelters available to manage this country's huge animal population. The human population in this country has grown considerable over the past few years and with that the animal population has grown. The number of animal shelters, however, appears to have remained the same.

PeTA uses the euthanasia estimates provided by HSUS on its web site and in its fact sheet recommending euthanasia to pet owners for unwanted pets. http://www.helpinganimals.com/Factsheet/files/FactsheetDisplay.asp?ID=39. PeTA is such a strong supporter of pet euthanasia that instead of placing former pets in homes out of its shelter in Virginia, it chooses to euthanize between 96 and 98 percent of the animals depending on year, while other shelters in Virginia place half the adoptable animals they care for. PeTA shelter statistics are available from the state of Virginia,
http://www.virginia.gov/vdacs_ar/cgi-bin/Vdacs_search.cgi.

Review the data for PeTA for 2008. http://www.virginia.gov/vdacs_ar/cgi-bin/Vdacs_search.cgi?link_select=fa.... Take the total number of animals taken in, subtract the reclaimed and transferred animals, and divide the euthanasia rate by this number. This shows that PeTA euthanized 96 percent of its animals, while the numbers for all shelters showed a rate of only 50 percent. Most of the PeTA shelter animals were owner surrenders and former owners were probably under the assumption that their former pets would get homes. PeTA is so supportive of euthanizing animals that it vehemently argues against no-kill shelters, http://www.peta.org/feat-overpopulation_crisis.asp.

It is true that there are many millions of dogs and cats in this country, but this it true because there are many millions of people in this country. We do not have a pet "overpopulation" crisis in this country; we have a shortage of animal shelters in this country. Few shelters keep animals longer than a few days and rarely more than a week before euthanizing those animals. Animals barely have the time to settle in to their surroundings and showcase their "pet" qualities before they are killed.

In a glaring disregard for the intelligence of people, PeTA, through one of its sub-organizations, campaigned for the end of dog and cat breeding in California by stating that "every dog born in the state of California today has nearly a 1 in 4 chance of ultimately becoming homeless and dying in a shelter." Refer to the "1 in 4 Dogs" "fact" sheet at http://www.yesonsb250.com/sb250-home.php. PeTA derived this number from its estimate that 714,834 dogs will die in California during the year and only 22.4 percent of that number of dogs will be euthanized, so just a little more than one in five dogs will die of euthanasia. This indicates that dogs in California are not likely to die in a shelter.

The question is whether "pet overpopulation" exists. The data shows that it does not. According to HSUS, approximately 98 percent of the dog and cat population is in a home. According to PeTA, 77.6 percent of the dogs that die in California will die of causes not related to euthanasia in a shelter.

The work here should not be to prevent animal ownership and animal breeding in favor of euthanasia, and treat animals as casual commodities as HSUS and PeTA suggest, but to build an animal shelter infrastructure to support the growing needs of a growing society and its love of animals.