The Real Statistics on Pet Adoption

Submitted by www.johnfiege.com on January 20th, 2021

You might have read that people who were forced to put their social lives on hold due to the coronavirus adopted dogs and cats in record numbers last year, wiping out the population of these popular animals in shelters. As it happens, this was a bit of an exaggeration. A national database compiled by Shelter Animals Count found that the adoption rates from January to June, nationwide, rose from 64% in 2019 to 73% in the first half of 2020. Euthenasia was down 43% because more people were fostering.

Nevertheless, according to the ASPCA, an estimated 1.5 million shelter animals (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats) were euthanized in the past year. The good news is that this number is steadily dropping, down from a total of 2.6 million back in 2011. Approximately 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted each year from 3,500 animal shelters across the U.S.

The various websites that track statistics offer some additional interesting bits of data about pet ownership and where all those orphaned animals come from. Currently, about 67% of American households include at least one pet, with dogs (44%), cats (35%), freshwater fish (9%) and birds (4%) making up the majority. One of the most alarming statistics is the number of feral cats on the street—which points to the need for spaying pets as they are brought into the home. Of the total cat population, currently only about 47% actually live in homes as pets. Many of the rest are feral strays, and by one estimate, one unspayed female cat living on the street will produce 3,200 descendants over 12 years.

_Sources:

_{https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/2020/12/29/humane-society-hamilton-county-humane-society-of-indianapolis-animal-shelters-planning-2021/3862370001/}

_{https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/}

_{https://humanepro.org/page/pets-by-the-numbers}

_{https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics}

Financial Solutions is a registered investment advisor in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Financial Solutions and its representatives are in compliance with the current registration requirements imposed upon registered investment advisers by those states in which Financial Solutions maintains clients. Financial Solutions may only transact business in those states in which it is registered, or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. Its web site is limited to the dissemination of general information pertaining to its investment advisory services. Accordingly, the publication of Financial Solution's web site on the Internet should not be construed by any consumer and/or prospective client as solicitation to effect, or attempt to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, over the Internet. Any investment advisory service communication subsequently or directly made by Financial Solutions with a prospective client shall be conducted by a representative that is either registered or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration in the state where the prospective client resides.

For information pertaining to the registration status of Financial Solutions, please contact the state securities law administrators for those states in which Financial Solutions is registered. A copy of its current written disclosure statement discussing its business operations, services, and fees is available on this web site. Financial Solutions does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to Financial Solutions web site or incorporated herein, and takes no responsibility therefore. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly.