Unwanted pet animals

Abandoned animals
Homeless pets
Lost domestic animals

Nature

As the result of the domestication of animals, their birth rate in domesticated environments has escalated in an uncontrolled manner, often without any adequate means to house and feed them. There is a limit to how many mongrel puppies and non-pedigree kittens can be given away to good homes. Surplus animals can experience suffering and deprivation. Since they are unwanted, they face maltreatment by their owners.

Background

The issue of unwanted pet animals gained international attention in the mid-20th century, as urbanization and pet ownership surged, leading to visible increases in stray populations and animal shelter overcrowding. Early studies in Europe and North America highlighted the scale of abandonment and its consequences for animal welfare and public health. Over time, global awareness grew, prompting coordinated efforts to track, manage, and mitigate the problem through research, policy, and advocacy initiatives.

Incidence

70,000 puppies and kittens are born in the USA every day. The traditional way to dispose of an unwanted litter of kittens was drowning. Over 10 million dogs and cats are put to death each year in animal shelters because no one wants them. It is estimated that in the USA alone, some 25 million animals are destroyed annually. Millions are sold to laboratories where they are the subject of animal experiments. The remainder fend for themselves as strays. No figures exist for the numbers of animals that die each year due to abandonment, neglect, abuse, starvation or cruelty because they are unwanted.

Claim

Abandoned animals create health hazards and are a public menace. Wild dogs and cats breed in streets, gutters and abandoned shelters; they are often rabid and disease ridden; they may bite humans, infect humans with fleas, and steal food from gardens or marketplaces.

The vast majority of animals being destroyed are young, attractive, healthy, friendly and playful. Some appear to be pure bred.

Counter-claim

The issue of unwanted pet animals is grossly exaggerated and hardly deserves the attention it receives. Compared to pressing global crises like poverty, climate change, and disease, the fate of a few stray pets is trivial. Resources and public concern should be directed toward truly significant problems affecting millions of humans, not minor inconveniences involving animals. Prioritizing unwanted pets over real human suffering is misguided and reflects misplaced societal values.