Nearly 3,000 people participated in the 2014 U.S. Shelter Pet Report. A large number of those surveyed (81%) said they own a dog and/or cat, a large increase from 63% three years ago.
READ MORE: MOST PET PARENTS NOW CHOOSE TO ADOPT BUT MORE LOCAL ACTION IS NEEDED TO END PET HOMELESSNESS
The study also found that while a growing number of people say they care about pet homelessness, more than half still don't provide any support for solving the issue.
"Unlike other causes, we are not hampered by a lack of cure or technology," said Jan Wilkins, PetSmart Charities executive director. "If all of the pet lovers in the United States simply took action in their communities today, our grandchildren would not have to live in a world where thousands of healthy pets are euthanized daily."
Survey highlights:
- Pet homelessness is an important cause. Forty-six per cent of people surveyed view the het homelessness problem as very important. The number of people who say they donated their time or money to help pets increased by 11%.
- Pet owners underestimate the problem. Most people (85%) underestimate the number of pets who are euthanized annually in the U.S. An estimated four million pets every year are euthanized because there are not enough homes.
- Misperceptions about shelter pets still exist. The study found that among new pet owners, the main barrier to adoption was that people said shelters did not have the type of pet they wanted (36%).
- Spay/neuter rates have increased. Survey responses suggest that 86% of pets have been fixed, compared to 79% in 2011 and 80% in 2009.
- Cost is a barrier to spay/neuter. Fewer than half of pet parents knew that low-cost spay/neuter options were available. That's a problem because 30% of people whose pets were unaltered said they chose not to spay/neuter because it was too expensive.
READ MORE: ADOPT OR PURCHASE A PET?
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