Pets don't measure up, get put down
Moe Milstein
Vancouver Sun
Monday, August 29, 2005

The greatest single cause of death among dogs and cats is neither illness nor injury nor old age. It is euthanasia. Although estimates vary, 5 to 6 million animals are euthanized every year in North America. The majority of these animals are young and healthy.

Conventional wisdom has it that these deaths are the result of a pet overpopulation problem caused by irresponsible pet owners who allow promiscuous breeding, leading to large numbers of unwanted animals.

But conventional wisdom is often wrong. A number of studies published over the last decade have revealed some surprising facts.

Although the image of masses of puppies being put to death has helped more than one humane society raise concern about the issue, the data do not support this highly provocative picture. Instead, the studies show that the pet most likely to be relinquished to shelters is a young adult dog, 5 months to 2 years of age. The majority of these dogs had never been bred and two thirds of them were already neutered. Litters of pups were rarely brought in and, although 60 per cent of relinquished dogs are euthanized, pups are likely to find a home.

More litters of kittens than pups are brought to shelters, but many of these are from feral mothers--the kittens found under the stairs or in an alley.

So the rampant over-breeding caused by irresponsible pet owners may not be the right explanation.

What did these six million animals do to deserve to be killed? The answer from these studies is that the animals failed to meet their owners' expectations. Pets at the greatest risk were those that were acquired for children, followed by those that were given as a gift or taken over from a friend. Cats adopted as strays had a better chance of avoiding the shelter than those that were acquired to fulfill some specific role in the household.

And the most common reason given by the owners for this failure of expectations was the pet's behavior.

For dogs, the fatal issues were soiling the house, being too hyper, barking, and aggression, particularly toward other animals. These problems were more likely to occur in families with children. Cats faced the same dilemmas, with house-soiling and aggression at the top of the list.

From interviews with owners, it became apparent that most were unprepared for the task of bringing a pet into the home. Although people had an idea of what role the pet might play in their lives, they had little knowledge of how to achieve that goal. Some of the activities considered objectionable were normal aspects of dog behavior and could have been easily remedied. Those who had never consulted a veterinarian or dog trainer were more likely to relinquish their dogs.

Other dogs at risk were those kept in the yard all day or chained up. Without varied and caring interaction with people, these dogs have little chance of developing normal behavior. Cultural expectations and misinformation contribute to this group.

I often see young mothers in my office with several active children in tow and their new pride and joy -- a puppy. I often wonder if mom will be able to handle the chaos that will ensue as she tries to fit another incontinent creature into her schedule. All begin with the best of intentions, but some will give up in frustration when the puppy becomes a problem.

So do we really have a pet overpopulation problem? The authors of one study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Association conclude, "Society's problem is not too many pets or unwanted pets, but people's expectations of pets."

Matching expectations with reality is the challenge humane societies and veterinarians have to face if we want to decrease the number of abandoned animals.