It's impossible to determine the actual number of stray animals in the US, but estimates for cats range at about 74 to 96 million, while the estimates for stray dogs range at about 70 to 80 million. If those numbers are even close, that's about as many strays as there are cats and dogs owned. Every year, only 6 to 8 million of those are taken to shelters, with nearly half then being euthenized. Not only do these unwanted animals suffer both physically and emotionally, but they put a strain on our own resources as we struggle to care for them and provide them with the attention they depend on and deserve. To capture, house, and euthenize just a small percentage of these animals costs tax payers 1 billion each year.

Feral cats can produce as many as 3 litters of kittens each year. They and their offspring can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just 7 years. Many of these kittens may be eaten by wild animals, hit by cars, or become stuck in car engines as they search for a warm place to sleep, but because of their ability to breed rapidly, feral cats can overpopulate quickly and their presense has already lead to the extinction of numerous mammals, reptiles, and at least 33 species of birds, and they still threaten more. When we're already struggling to maintain America's diverse wildlife, these feral cats push us a step back by destroying the biodiversity of small animal populations, even in national parks and preservations.

Stray dogs, being more dependent on humans than cats, often live very briefly on their own. They survive by scavenging for our scraps and capturing small animals, yet often suffer from starvation and severe weather. Being unsocialized and roaming the streets, large dogs also pose a threat to civilians, espcially children who may not survive violent attacks. Despite their short life spans, they can manage to produce 4 to 6 puppies a year, with enough surviving to further increase the population of unwanted dogs.

The animal overpopulation problem in the US has been tackled from many different directions, but few solve the problem where it begins. There are simply not enough willing and responsible owners in America to even provide for the amount of pets that are alive. Despite education and awarness on the importance of spaying and nuetering pets, even a small percentage of owners ignoring the responsibility can (and has) lead to a boom in pet births. When this problem becomes a public safety concern, a threat to wildlife, and a cost to tax payers, the possiblity of these animals breeding should not be left up to just any owner. Just as ferrets and other exotic pets are required to be fixed before they are permitted to be sold, so should cats and dogs. Only then could we see a mass reduction in unwanted pets, and possibly even create a demand big enough for these animals that it requires only responsible owners to obtain them.