51,000 Dogs Euthanized Across US Amid Increasing Shelter Intake: Report

Pitbulls peer from their cage at the San Bernardino City Animal Shelter in San Bernardino, Calif., on Feb. 4, 2014. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Euthanasia rates at U.S. animal shelters have reportedly increased this year, with about 51,000 dogs being put to death as animal shelters struggle with “overcapacity” of stray and owner-surrendered pets.

The number of dogs euthanized at U.S. animal shelters increased by 37 percent in the first half of this year compared to 2022, Axios reported on Sept. 1, citing the Shelter Animals Count (SAC) database.

SAC stated in its July report [pdf] that without significant intervention, animal intakes at shelters across the country in the second half of the year might hit a three-year high, with outcomes still not keeping pace.

“Owner relinquishment rates remained unchanged for cats (17 percent), but dogs saw a steep decrease over the three-year period (25 percent in 2021 to 18 percent in 2023). However, not all organization types are seeing this same trend,” the report reads.

“The gap of cats and dogs waiting for an outcome reached 7 percent in the first half of the year, leading to an increase in animal populations at already burdened shelters, rescues, and government-funded organizations in every region of the U.S,” it added.

SAC stated that animal organizations are struggling with “overcapacity status” and urgently need community support.

For instance, the Aurora animal shelter has posted on its website that it is currently unable to accept any owner-surrendered dogs due to their dog kennels reaching capacity.

“As we look back at the second quarter of 2023, one issue stands out to me more than the rest: the continuing decline of animal transfers between organizations,” SAC executive director Stephanie Filer said in a statement.

“In Q1, we saw some hope that the bottleneck in transfers may be starting to ease. Unfortunately, that hope was short-lived. Now in Q2, transfers in and out of organizations have hit their lowest point in the past three years,” she added.

The Denver animal shelter has euthanized 866 dogs and cats as of August, the highest number in five years. Shelter director Melanie Sobel said that high inflation rates and affordable housing shortages affect people’s ability to own a pet.

“It’s very, very difficult to find an affordable place, let alone find an affordable place that allows animals,” Ms. Sobel told Axios.

Ms. Sobel stated that behavioral issues in adolescent dogs whose owners kept them indoors during the pandemic also contributed to the rise in euthanasia rates at animal shelters.

According to Ms. Sobel, her shelter would normally transfer behavioral-issue dogs to partner shelters, but as these partners are currently at full capacity, the only remaining choice is euthanizing these dogs.