Facts About West Virginia Pet Overpopulation.

Kallee found me when someone threw her out in our hollow in 1994 and lived with me until she passed in 2005. She was one of the lucky ones. Many shelter dogs die within 5-7 days of arriving at most shelters due to overcrowding and lack of funding. And, these are the healthy ones. The amount of sick or vicious dogs is tremendous, and these dogs are put down immediately.

source: www.fohowv.com

Please note these statistics were gathered in 1998. Today, stronger shelter spay neuter programs have reduced the euthanasia rate at WV shelters combined with the heightened number of rescues of dogs going out of state. FOHO is in working with HSUS to gather current state statistics which will be posted soon. WV Shelters take in 102,000 dogs and cats, euthanizing 75% of them (3 out of 4 die).

Shelters that do not require adopted animals to be spayed or neutered are themselves contributing to the overpopulation problem by allowing uncontrolled breeding to continue. Every day in the United States, 10,000 babies are born compared to over 70,000 puppies and kittens. West Virginia had over 150,000 puppies and cats born last year (2007)

1. The average cost to pick up, house, feed and euthanize an animal is $50, costing West Virginians $3 million dollars yearly.
2. Mandatory spay/neuter of adopted animals reduces the number of animals taken into a shelter. At the Kanawha Charleston Animal Shelter, for example the number of animals taken in decreased from 16,000 in 1988 to 8,000 last year, after mandatory spay/neuter was implemented.
3. An individual pays from $3 to $30 to adopt an animal from a shelter. In addition, when spay/neuter is required, they must pay an additional $20 to $35. Under the proposed legislation, the cost of spay/neuter will be borne by the adopting owner and not by the shelter.
4. Of the animals put to death in West Virginia, 87% are placed in landfills, with the remaining 13% incinerated or sent to rendering companies.
5. In West Virginia, 31 counties have shelters or pounds.
6. 21 states (including Va., Kent., and D.C.) have passed mandatory spay/neuter laws