“Unwanted and out of time.”

Only a few states require shelters to keep records of euthanasia. According to Shelter Animal Count (SAC), the exact number is unknown; it is just a national average. The 2024 average was 5,776.000, which is lower than previously. Those are the numbers of animals that were euthanized. The main numbers are strays and owner surrender, followed by animal cruelty cases. Dog adoptions were down by 1.1 percent, and cat adoptions were up by 1.8 percent. I live in a high-kill state, but we are trying, and that’s no fault of my local shelters and rescues, but they are overcrowded and overwhelmed. Best Friends Society (bestfriends.org): You can visit the website and check out their goals for shelter pets. It’s not a no-kill. It’s more like ninety percent saved because, realistically, some animals have to be euthanized, very sick, and animals that are not safe for humans. States with this practice have a much lower euthanasia rate. It takes the entire community to come together. Some counties in the same states don’t get the same funding. I use two different counties to rescue cats. The county with the most funding is cheaper with its services. In one county, a female cat spay costs forty-five dollars versus ninety dollars in another, but both are cheaper than a vet visit. 

All shelters offer low-cost spay and neuter programs for the community, and you should take advantage of these services. Some shelters have terrible reputations, and I understand, but most are good. Shelters offer adoptions for one hundred dollars and as low as one dollar for cats. If you must buy, be responsible pet owners—life-long care. Remember, those numbers for euthanasia include pregnant dogs and cats. Puppies and kittens that never got a chance. If you must return a pet, most shelters will take them back. Don’t dump animals, making your problem someone else’s problem. Most pets can’t survive on their own. Call a rescue or shelter and let them help guide you in the right direction. We can all do our part by not making the numbers higher by being responsible. I do believe in euthanasia, but for the right reasons only. Below is a list of states and their average. Do you live in a high-kill state? 

• Mississippi 18.3 percent 
• North Carolina 14.3 percent 
• Alabama 14.2 percent 
• Arkansas 12.6 percent 
• Louisiana 12.6 percent 
• Hawaii 12 percent 
• Maryland 11.5 percent 
• Texas 10.3 percent 
• Oklahoma 10 percent 
• New Mexico 7.9 percent 
• California 7.8 percent 
• Georgia 7.8 percent 

information from total.vet