Reigning Cats and Dogs

--Dogs----40.6 million U. S. households have total of 65 million dogs.

--Cats-----35.3 million households have total of 78 million cats.

--Fish-----13.9 million households have 192 million fish.

--Birds----6.7 million households have 17.3 million birds.

--Small animals----5.6 million households have 16.8 million critters.

--Reptiles---4.1 million households have 9 million reptiles.

-----Source: American Pet Product Manufacturers

Spay/Neuter Facts

Fact: More than 70,000 puppies and kittens are born in the United States every day.

Fact: Every year in the U.S. 15 to 20 million cats and dogs are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them. Spaying and neutering could easily prevent this killing.

Fact: Being a responsible pet owner by having your pet sterilized is the first and most important step toward reducing the number of unwanted/euthanized pets.

Fact: Only one out of five dogs and cats will end up for their entire lives in a responsible home.

Fact: One female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies in just six years.

Fact: One female cat and her offspring can be the source of 420,000 cats in just seven years.

Fact: Purebreds make up as many as 25 percent of the unwanted animals coming into shelters today.

Fact: Allowing children to experience “the miracle of birth” through their pets really sends the message that animals can be created and discarded as it suits adults.

Fact: There are some states that have mandatory spay/neuter laws. Pennsylvania is one of them that requires spaying and neutering animals when adopted from a shelter.

Fact: In Pennsylvania, an estimated 100,000 dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters annually.

Fact: Spaying and neutering animals changes their character for the better. A “de-sexed” pet is healthier, happier, and more responsive.

Fact: Overfeeding, not spaying and neutering, makes a pet fat and lazy.

Fact: There is no medical evidence that having one litter is good for your pet.

Fact: The best time to spay a female is before her first heat. Early spaying greatly reduces the incidence of mammary cancer.

---Source: Humane Society of the United States.