PET POPULATION PROBLEMS... WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF THE PET OVERPOPULATION CRISIS? An opinion presented by T. J. Dunn, DVM Director, ThePetCenter.com

There exists in the USA a broad base of responsible, educated, and quality-conscious breeders who carefully select the lineage of the bitch and stud and who have the means to raise healthy puppies for responsible owners.  These dog and cat breeders usually screen the potential new pet owners and some breeders and pet owners enter into contracts that encourage the new owners not to breed their dog or cat.  Conscientious breeders always follow-up on the pet for years after the sale to fully evaluate health and personality status of each individual animal.  Good breeders keep good records and never hide or ignore any defects that show up in their pups or kittens.

Unfortunately, we humans have created a sorrowful... and inexcusable... crisis due to the overpopulation of dogs and cats.  We are the cause, and the poor, innocent animals whose individual lives are so often discarded, neglected and abused suffer mental and physical torment that is difficult to measure or describe. We did this, and we can and must correct this pathetic and inhumane overpopulation crisis.  I will share with you my thoughts on a few of the seemingly innocent reasons the population crisis developed.  It centers on our errors of judgment.  We make very serious errors with widespread consequences when we permit our sensibilities to override common sense.  See if any of these scenarios sound familiar...

1)  People who misguidedly think that their dog or dogs are such "good dogs" that they "should be bred" so there will be more just like them.  So they breed their little princess, keep one pup from the litter of four, and give away or take to an animal shelter the ones they "just don't have all the room for".

 2.)  Others are told how terrific their dog is and they often hear the statement "if she ever has puppies be sure to let us know".  It's heard so often that they proceed to breed their dog thinking people will be lined up to get a puppy.  Time after time no one seems able to take a pup when the litter arrives and the breeder has to scramble to try to find homes for that cute litter of eight pups.  These pups are the ones that show up on Saturday mornings abandoned at the local shopping center in a box marked "we need a good home". 

3.)  Another group of dog breeders are truly in it for the money.  They know who they are and will propagate all sorts of "new" or established breeds, usually the small breeds to keep maintenance costs and work to a minimum.  Some have direct connections to pet sales outlets and will breed their female(s) as often as possible.  It's a business, not a commitment.  And breeding one purebred dog to another of a different breed can produce interesting puppies... but the breeder has now entered an unknown zone regarding predictability of puppy soundness of body and temperament.

4.)  One set of puppy production is the well-intentioned family who believes their children "should witness the miracle of birth" and will breed their dog "just once and then we'll spay her" for the educational benefit of their children. A walk through the local animal shelter or dog pound would balance that learning experience with the knowledge that 50% of the animals they walk by in those pens and cages will be dead within the week... even the puppies.  (There are some excellent "no kill" animal shelters, too.)

 5.)   Some dog owners simply cannot or have not had their dog spayed, have let her roam or allowed a stray dog to come into contact with her when she was in heat.  The resulting litter was unwanted but nevertheless is now in need of a home.

Recently I rescued a drugged, lame, 10 week old Chihuahua that was found in the overnight drop box at a rural animal shelter in south Florida.  When I saw how innocent she was and how worried and alone she acted, I adopted her, surgically corrected her deviating foreleg that had somehow been injured, and will keep her as part of my family for as long as she likes hanging out with me.

See the spay surgery on this page.   Learn about veterinary prices and protocols here.

When I graduated from veterinary school in June of 1970, the problem of pet over-population was serious and nationwide.  The problem is even worse today!  According to the Humane Society of the United States, "Every day in the United States, thousands upon thousands of puppies and kittens are born because of the uncontrolled breeding of pets. Add to that number the offspring of stray and abandoned companion animals, and the total becomes even more staggering. Every year, between six and eight million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters; some three to four million of these animals are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them."

Through no fault of their own, stray or abandoned animals have only us humans to blame for their plight; but who specifically is responsible for this tide of excess, unwanted animals?  Why are so many animal shelters filled to overflowing with pets, whose fate in many cases is to be euthanized?  (Learn about humane euthanasia here.)

I know who is not to blame. . . not the veterinarians. . . they are working at spaying/neutering and educating pet owners regarding pet population control.  Not the animal shelter workers, their goal is to have nothing to do!  They work tirelessly, often on a volunteer basis, to care for abandoned pets.  Not the legal system, for if strong laws were enacted to restrict people from breeding their pets, the populace would surely rise up in protest over their being unconstitutionally deprived of their personal “rights”.  And not the professional breeders. . . they are striving to maintain high quality, genetically predictable pets and only breed their animals if they know homes are waiting for the offspring.

Well then, who’s to blame for all the excess and unwanted pets that live in shelters or roam the back streets or are euthanized every year for lack of a home? Some blame must rest with the well meaning family pet owner who has not considered the responsibilities and consequences of  bringing more puppies or kittens into our society.  The owner thinks it would be nice if their dog or cat “has at least one litter” just so she can "mature properly" and not have psychological issues from missing out on the joy of motherhood (which sort of ignores all the male dogs and cats).  Professional breeders have a known market for their product, veterinarians are educating pet owners about spaying/neutering and animal shelter personnel are endlessly fighting the battle of pet overpopulation in the obscure trenches of the animal shelters.  Nevertheless, there are some people who persist in cranking out more litters.  Sometimes the reasons for breeding are really unfounded and even irresponsible. Read some of the most common excuses-reasons-myths why John Q. Public decides to breed his dog:

     Rational:  "She has papers so her puppies will be real valuable."
     Reality:  Good luck.  Your dog will probably have a litter at a time when lots of other litters are available and not only will you need to lower your asking price but you may not have any buyers interested in even taking a look at your pups.  Also... papers-schmapers... there are lots of mixed breeds available for sale every day in every community in America and they often sell for hundreds of dollars... and they have no papers.

    Rational:  "If she’s spayed before she has a litter, she’ll get fat and lazy".  (See the spay surgery here.)
    Reality:  This is a real cop out because it is simply not based on facts.  Male and female pets after being spayed or neutered, and as they grow older, experience a slow down in metabolic rate which means calorie burn is slower. So if your pet is overweight it is your fault and not the fault of a surgical procedure performed months or years ago!  Don't feed your dog so much food! Even better, increase the exercise factors.  You can keep your dog's weight under control.  See this page for a proven weight loss guide.

    Rational:  "My cousin wants one of her pups."
    Reality:  Ok, that's one.  What if your dog is a Beagle and probably will have 8 to 12 puppies?  What if when the time comes to pick out a pup your cousin already has a new dog, or just doesn't think it's the right time for getting a pup.  It's your responsibility to find good owners and hopefully you won't drop the pups off in a cardboard box at the local shopping center or animal shelter.

    Rational:  "I want my kids to see the miracle of birth."
    Reality:  There are lots of videos on this, or ask an established breeder if your children can observe the next time pups or kittens are due.  There is so much more to "having puppies or kittens" than simply having puppies or kittens.  They are unique, living, feeling creatures that are due respect and proper care; being the caretaker of an animal is serious business wherein all sorts of obligations and rewards are a big part of the experience.  But if you insist on having your children view a live delivery I challenge you to also... before you breed your pet... to take the children through a local animal shelter so they can experience the pathos of life that plays out every day for so many scared, bored, discontented, homesick animals living in cages and eating cheap food and getting little exercise or fresh air.  Smell the odors of the shelter; listen to the noise of cages and fences and constant barking dogs.  Look at where they sleep, eat, and pace back and forth hour after hour... just waiting and waiting and waiting for someone's hand to lick or for a soft pat on the head or a scratch behind an ear.  Ask how long some of the animals have been there, find out about their medical problems or personal phobias.  That would surely be a worthwhile educational opportunity for your children and you don't have to wait 9 weeks to see it up close and personal.  And just maybe you will reconsider the plan to bring more pups and kittens into an already stressed population.

     Rational:  "The darned vets charge too much to have a pet spayed or neutered; and I can't watch her all the time when she's outside.  I can't help it if she keeps getting pregnant.  I may as well see if I can make some money on her pups."
     Reality:  Spaying a dog is considered a major intra-abdominal surgery and if not done correctly, or the anesthesia is inadequate, or a suture breaks, or a blood vessel is missed and loses blood internally, or an infection occurs, or the dog or cat develops cardiac irregularities or blood pressure issues and the pet dies... you sure won't be pleased regardless of the cost!  Regarding fees... veterinarians are no different than barbers, lawyers, marriage counselors or bait shop owners... each can charge whatever they want.  You can shop around for prices but also make sure that the care will be of a  professional level and that no shortcuts will be taken. 

You made the decision to acquire a dog or cat and you knew before you got the pet what the usual and customary expenses are relative to pet ownership.  And those little puppies and kittens that you assert are somehow not your responsibility... hold one in your hands someday for one full hour.  Go off by yourself, just you and the little one; carry it around with you; listen to it breathe; watch it move and respond when it is uncomfortable; feel its body heat and gently touch your finger to the ribcage and feel the little heart beat.  But who cares... drop it off at the shelter as soon as you can and hold on to your belief that the pup's unfortunate mother keeps having puppies because the very person that can help solve the problem "charges too much".  Look here to learn about the cost of a spay surgery and then maybe you won't think the surgery is overpriced. 

    Rational:  "She’ll be a better adjusted dog if she has pups."
    Reality:  There are more reasons not to breed a dog than to breed.  Medical, psychological, health and societal realities all suggest that spaying and neutering do not have a negative impact on the dog or cat.  There are documented advantages to the pet and to the human society to have pets spayed and neutered.

Can you take all three of us, please?	We live here, who are you?	A free roaming cat has died in the street.	Puppies are fun but they'll be in new homes soon.	Intelligent breeding has  many rewards.
Cricket the Chihuahua pup got lucky and was adopted by Dr. Dunn.	How long do I have  to be in here?	Feral cats have rights, too.	Confined cats often have bowel and respiratory problems.	A beautiful litter of award winning Great Danes.
Why did they put me in here?	Deep and unforgettable love...	Confinement can have a  sad and lasting impact on any animal	Where are my kittens?	Are you going to hurt me?
Free roaming cats can have a negative impact on bird populations	Veterinary staff work tirelessly trying to place  dogs and cats.	I wish I could take you home after we clean you up.	Identification and documentation take up  lots of time.	Animal health care workers search the Internet for potential foster homes.
Bored... and nothing to do all day.	Warm and fuzzy... some person is responsible for the birth of these little creatures.	Some pets get lucky and their "dad"  writes a  story about them.	Some pets get lost and simply give up hope of finding their way back home.	...and for some, this is the last thing they ever see.

Please consider all the facts and feelings and forces at work before you breed your dog or cat.  And if you just aren't sure, do stop by your local animal shelter and take a look around.  Many of the animals harbored there came from an unwanted or unplanned litter or a breeding desired for one of the reasons described above. 

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