I was walking in NYC a couple of weeks ago with my husband and realized that I was greeting every dog I passed. That’s pretty normal for me in Los Angeles where I live and have two dogs. When I lived in Manhattan 19 years ago I didn’t remember there being so many dogs. I asked Andy if he noticed more dogs now than there used to be and he said “Sure, dogs have become much more popular recently”.
I still wondered if it was a) me being more aware since I’m now more of a dog lover than I was back then, b) because we were downtown rather than uptown c) because more apartments allow dogs or d) because there really were more dogs.
When I arrived home in LA, my copy of Best Friends Magazine was waiting for me and interestingly enough on page 19 it said “New York City animal lovers have a reason to celebrate: The percentage of dogs and cats euthanized in the city’s shelters hit an all-time low last year-33 percent, down from 69 percent in 2003. During the same period the adoption rate for shelter pets increased to 66 percent, up from 26 percent…”
That was exciting news to read as it means that more people are going to shelters to rescue and adopt animals. At least in NYC…
I investigated LA too and sure enough adoptions were on the rise and euthanization drastically reduced, though the past couple of years were pretty steady. Unfortunately, the past two years have been tough in the animal shelter and adoption world as more and more people are affected by the recession and relinquishing their pets to shelters. How heartbreaking. There’s got to be another way for people to not only be able to stay in their homes and afford even a reduced semblance of lifestyle but also keep their family pet. I don’t have the answer to that one and I’m sure each story is different. (I do remember reading about a couple who had fallen on hard times yet they were unwilling to give up their dog who was a part of their family. They cut down their expenses dramatically and were making it all work. )
Anyway,I poked around a little more and discovered “New Survey Reveals pet ownership at an all time high”. Granted, this “new survey” is a few years old but the information is still apropos. It's “reigning cats and dogs and all other pets in this country according to the latest statistics from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA).
New figures just released from APPMA's 2005-2006 National Pet Owners Survey (NPOS) show pet ownership is currently at its highest level, with 63 percent of all U.S. households owning a pet which equates to more than 69 million households. That's up from 64 million in 2002 and 51 million in 1988 when APPMA's tracking began.”
"The steady increase in pet ownership confirms that a growing number of us are realizing pets truly enhance our lives," said Bob Vetere, managing director and COO of APPMA. “ Read the whole article here. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_April_27/ai_n13656042/
This is all encouraging news. More animal owners, more shelter adoptions and fewer euthanizations. Kudos again to those of you working hard to help get animals adopted and educate the public about spay and neuter, puppy mills and how wrong it is to buy a pet in a pet store. Kudos to us for being responsible pet owners. Let’s keep this all moving in the right direction.
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