ANIMAL PEOPLE has produced annual estimates of U.S. shelter killing, projected from the latest available state and city data, since 1993. We used all data available in 1997 and 1998. Otherwise, we have used only data from the three latest fiscal years.
Estimated U.S. shelter killing in 1992 was 5.7 million--about a third of the 17.8 million toll estimated in 1985 by the American Humane Association. The AHA estimate was probably too high, but ANIMAL PEOPLE has assembled historical data which suggests that it would have been accurate circa 1980, and that U.S. shelter killing probably peaked at about 23.4 million in 1970.
As of 1970, U.S. animal shelters collectively killed 115 dogs and cats per 1,000 U.S. human residents. Currently the rate of killing is between 14.8 and 15.3 per 1,000 U.S. human residents, depending on whether or not the projection includes 1999 data.
Evaluating the data fairly and in context requires taking into account the evident regional differences. Most of the lowest rates of shelter killing per 1,000 humans are clustered in the Northeast, with the highest in the South, except around Washington D.C. and in some of the more affluent parts of Florida.
The low Northeastern and D.C. area figures appear to result from high-density living, associated with low rates of pet-keeping; cold winters, the D.C. area excepted, which inhibit the survival of late-born feral kittens and suppress estrus in dogs and cats, decreasing their litter frequency; a relatively strong humane infrastructure to encourage neutering; and animal control agencies which have historically not picked up free-roaming cats.
The high Southern figures conversely reflect suburban populations, more petkeeping, warm winters, and a general lack of access to low-cost neutering.
Animal population analysts Peter Marsh and Bob Christiansen have found in separate studies of data from California, Georgia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and North Carolina that the poorest counties in each state kill dogs and cats at up to four times the rate of the richest.
LOCATION |
Animals killed per 1000 people |
YEAR |
Population in 1000s |
Animals killed |
| Ithaca NY | 1.9 | 2002 | 97 | 185 |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE | 2.2 | 2000 | 1,201 | 2,575 |
| San Francisco | 2.5 | 2002 | 771 | 1,892 |
| New York City | 4.6 | 2001 | 8,009 | 36,500 |
| San Diego | 4.9 | 2002 | 2,863 | 14,019 |
| NEW JERSEY | 5.8 | 2000 | 8,414 | 48,551 |
| MAINE | 6.3 | 2001 | 1,275 | 8,000 |
| Rochester NY | 6.3 | 1999 | 716 | 4,511 |
| Los Angeles | 7.1 | 2002 | 3,400 | 95,000 |
| Richmond, VA | 7.1 | 2002 | 265 | 1,884 |
| COLORADO | 8.3 | 2001 | 4,301 | 19,340 |
| Missoula | 8.4 | 2000 | 89 | 748 |
| Buffalo/Erie | 8.5 | 2000 | 926 | 7,871 |
| Lawrence KS | 8.6 | 2000 | 78 | 671 |
| MARYLAND | 8.7 | 2000 | 5,172 | 45,000 |
| Pittsburgh | 9.5 | 2001 | 1,270 | 12,000 |
| Chicago | 10.4 | 2002 | 2,896 | 30,000 |
| Milwaukee | 10.5 | 1999 | 912 | 9,576 |
| Harford Cty MD | 11.2 | 2002 | 219 | 2,448 |
| Seattle | 11.2 | 1999 | 1,655 | 18,536 |
| OREGON | 11.5 | 2001 | 3,421 | 40,505 |
| Anchorage AK | 11.6 | 1999 | 255 | 2,958 |
| Contra Costa | 11.8 | 2000 | 931 | 11,000 |
| Orlando/Orange | 12.6 | 2000 | 896 | 11,290 |
| Cincinnati | 13.1 | 2002 | 835 | 10,951 |
| Sacramento | 13.4 | 2002 | 1,269 | 17,000 |
| St. Louis | 13.4 | 2001 | 1,631 | 21,855 |
| St. Petersburg | 13.7 | 2001 | 922 | 12,600 |
| Lodi, CA | 13.9 | 2002 | 57 | 790 |
| Las Vegas | 13.9 | 1999 | 1,162 | 16,152 |
| Ft. Laud/Miami | 14.1 | 2001 | 5,007 | 70,514 |
| Collier Cty FL | 14.2 | 2001 | 266 | 3,785 |
| Stillwater OK | 14.3 | 1999 | 39 | 558 |
| Ft. Lauderdale | 14.6 | 2000 | 1,623 | 23,696 |
| Riverside CA | 14 | 2002 | 1,531 | 21,443 |
| U.S. AVE. LOW | 14.8 | (sample of 3) | 9%) | |
| Reno/Washoe NV | 15.2 | 2000 | 320 | 4,864 |
| U.S. AVE. HIGH | 15.3 | (sample of 4) | 7%) | |
| Lincoln NE | 15.3 | 2001 | 263 | 4,018 |
| Carson City NV | 15.5 | 1999 | 49 | 760 |
| Butler Cty OH | 15.8 | 2002 | 835 | 5,329 |
| Payette ID | 16.6 | 2002 | 60 | 1,000 |
| Clark Cnty WA | 17.4 | 2001 | 345 | 6,000 |
| Lewisville TX | 17.5 | 2001 | 78 | 1,367 |
| Columbia SC | 17.6 | 2001 | 321 | 5,666 |
| Honolulu Cnty | 17.7 | 2000 | 865 | 15,309 |
| UTAH | 17.8 | 2002 | 2,233 | 39,772 |
| Minneapolis | 17.9 | 2002 | 1,115 | 20,000 |
| Lee County FL | 18.7 | 2002 | 463 | 8,667 |
| VIRGINIA | 18.8 | 2001 | 7,079 | 32,978 |
| Austin TX | 19.6 | 1999 | 731 | 14,328 |
| New Orleans | 20 | 2000 | 485 | 9,700 |
| Phoenix/Mesa | 20.3 | 1999 | 2,784 | 56,515 |
| Clermnt Cty OH | 20.3 | 2002 | 182 | 3,700 |
| Twin Falls ID | 20.6 | 2001 | 35 | 721 |
| Knoxville | 20.9 | 2001 | 382 | 8 |
| Tucson/Pima | 21.3 | 2001 | 844 | 18,000 |
| Volusia FL | 21.6 | 2001 | 443 | 9,563 |
| Houston | 22 | 2000 | 3,400 | 74,825 |
| Baton Rouge | 22.3 | 2000 | 212 | 4,728 |
| Atlanta region | 22.4 | 2001 | 4,152 | 94,256 |
| South Bend IN | 22.6 | 2001 | 265 | 6,001 |
| Sioux Falls SC | 22.6 | 2001 | 148 | 3,345 |
| Indianapolis | 22.7 | 2001 | 860 | 19,603 |
| Pasco Cnty FL | 22.8 | 2001 | 345 | 7,880 |
| Richland OH | 23.1 | 1999 | 127 | 2,933 |
| Denton TX | 24.2 | 2001 | 81 | 1,956 |
| Fort Worth | 25 | 2002 | 535 | 13,397 |
| Birmingham | 26.3 | 2000 | 662 | 17,400 |
| Warren Cty OH | 27.1 | 2002 | 169 | 4,572 |
| Little Rock | 28.4 | 1999 | 178 | 5,055 |
| Shelby Cnty AL | 28.4 | 1999 | 141 | 4,004 |
| Victorville CA | 28.6 | 2002 | 300 | 8,598 |
| El Paso TX | 29.4 | 2001 | 680 | 20,000 |
| Evansville IN | 29.2 | 2001 | 121 | 3,561 |
| Dearborn IN | 29.7 | 2000 | 14 | 416 |
| Jefferson LA | 30.8 | 2000 | 448 | 13,786 |
| Chilicothe MO | 31.1 | 2001 | 15 | 453 |
| Longview WA | 31.3 | 2002 | 80 | 2,500 |
| Oklahoma City | 31.6 | 2001 | 506 | 16,000 |
| Dallas | 31.9 | 2000 | 2,062 | 65,810 |
| Tampa | 32.4 | 2002 | 1,000 | 32,431 |
| San Antonio | 33 | 2001 | 1,393 | 46,000 |
| Jacksonville | 34 | 2000 | 779 | 26,486 |
| Wichita | 34.9 | 1999 | 448 | 15,635 |
| Lake County FL | 35 | 2000 | 210 | 7,345 |
| NORTH CAROLINA | 35 | 1999 | 7,547 | 26,415 |
| Chatanooga | 36.1 | 2001 | 308 | 11,112 |
| Charleston SC | 36.4 | 2001 | 549 | 20,000 |
| Hutchinson KS | 37.1 | 2001 | 41 | 1,521 |
| Merced CA | 37.9 | 2001 | 211 | 8,000 |
| Matanuska AK | 38.6 | 1999 | 56 | 2,162 |
| Inland Emp. CA | 39.5 | 1999 | 3,114 | 23,003 |