Did You Know?

Dogs...

  68 million dogs are owned in the US
 

4 out of 10 own 1 dog

  63% have 1 dog, 24% have 2, 13% have 3 or more

  20% were adopted from an animal shelter

  On average, dog owners spend $196 per year on veterinary expenses

  7 out of 10 owned dogs are spayed or neutered

Cats...

  73 million cats are owned in the US

  3 out of 10 house-holds own at least 1 cat

  Half own 1 cat, the remaining own 2 or more

  20% were adopted from an animal shelter

  On average, cat owners spend $104 per year on veterinary expenses

  8 out of 10 owned cats are spayed or neutered

Pet Overpopulation...

  8-10 million cats and dogs enter shelters each year

  4-5 million are euthanized each year

  3-5 million are adopted each year

  25 percent of shelter dogs are purebred

  Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in 1 year: 3

  Average number of kittens in a litter: 4-6

  Number of cats that 1 female cat and her offspring could theoretically produce in 7 years: 420,000

  Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in 1 year: 2

  Average number of puppies in a litter: 6-10

  Number of dogs that one female dog and her offspring could theoretically produce in 6 years: 67,000.

Statistics compiled by the Humane Society of the United States