There’s an Overpopulation Crisis! Here’s How You Can Help…
Are We Facing a Pet Overpopulation Crisis?
When you picture an adorable dog wagging its tail waiting for breakfast or a sleek cat lounging by the window, how do they make you feel? It’s common sense— these images bring us warmth, companionship, and comfort, but beneath this surface lies a growing crisis: pet overpopulation. While the sight of cats and dogs may fill our hearts, the reality is that millions of them face homelessness, neglect, and even euthanasia due to overbreeding and abandonment every single day. This isn’t nature’s doing. It’s ours and we need to act responsibly to reverse the damage.
Why cats and dogs?
Ever wonder why cats and dogs are the most abundantly diverse species on the planet? Their deep history with humans is the reason. Thousands of years ago, dogs began evolving alongside humans from their wolf ancestors. As we shifted from hunter-gatherers to agricultural societies, humans saw the benefits of having these loyal, protective companions. Similarly, cats became essential to agricultural settlements, helping to control pests that threatened grain stores. Cats and dogs became the most compatible companions for human beings.
However, what started as mutual survival quickly evolved into domestication, with selective breeding shaping the endless array of breeds we see today. Humans have taken an active role in crafting pets that fit our desires, whether it’s the athleticism of a Siberian Husky to help humans in transport across a snowy terrain or the lap-friendly size of a Shih Tzu for the hierarchy. This long-standing partnership, however, has come with unintended consequences.
The Problem
The numbers are staggering. In the United States alone, millions of cats and dogs enter shelters every year, and many of them don’t find homes. Global estimates put the figure for stray animals in the hundreds of millions. This overpopulation has led to overcrowded government-funded shelters, overworked non-profit rescue organizations, and tragically, the euthanasia of healthy animals that no one claimed. How else can space be made for the next animal control “rescue” if they don’t make space?
Is this really how we’ve committed to fixing the problem and maybe the real question is this: how did we get here?
The blame lies squarely on us—humans. For generations, we’ve bred cats and dogs for specific traits, often without considering the consequences of adding more animals to a world where many are already struggling. Backyard breeders, puppy mills, and irresponsible pet owners who don’t spay or neuter their animals have contributed to this crisis. We’ve created a system where the demand for specific breeds has led to an oversupply of animals, while millions of perfectly lovable, adoptable pets sit in shelters, waiting for a home that may never come. By extension, humans are also directly responsible for putting pets in compromisable positions that bring about unwanted behaviors from trauma and improper learned sociable traits. More on this in another article…
Overpopulation Isn’t Just a Numbers Problem
Animal overpopulation isn’t just about statistics—it’s about the quality of life for these animals. As previously mentioned, normal behavior is compromised since many stray and feral cats and dogs are left to fend for themselves, facing hunger, disease, injury, and exposure to harsh elements. The lucky ones that make it to shelters often face a ticking clock. While some shelters are no-kill, many are forced to make difficult decisions due to a lack of space and resources. This can not be a sustainable, suitable way to take responsibility…
Moreover, the environmental impact of stray animals is way too significant. Stray dogs, for instance, can harm local wildlife by competing for resources or, in some cases, becoming predatorial packs hunting like their ancestors. Feral cats are known to be responsible for decimating bird populations in certain areas, contributing to biodiversity loss. Humans keep animals dependent on us for life and we have failed to provide them a life where they are not found wanting. We’ve bred cats and dogs out of their natural habitats and now they don’t have an environment to call home besides our homes. How can we abandon them to a life unknown? Do dogs and cats belong in the wild anymore? The problem is only understood with acceptance: today’s domesticated animals are already domesticated.
Parallels to the Pigeon Problem
The crisis of overpopulation in pets mirrors another human-made issue: the abundance of pigeons in cities around the world. Much like dogs and cats, pigeons were once purposefully brought into human habitats for a reason. Originating from the wild rock dove, pigeons were domesticated thousands of years ago for their homing abilities and as a source of food. They were widely used for communication, especially during wartime, and in some cultures, they were even kept as pets.
As cities grew, pigeons adapted to urban environments, finding buildings and skyscrapers to be perfect substitutes for the cliff faces they naturally inhabited. Over time, they became overpopulated due to the easy availability of food—largely provided by humans through unintentional feeding and waste. Cities began facing the consequences of pigeon overpopulation, such as sanitation issues, damage to infrastructure, and the spread of disease. However, like the pet overpopulation crisis, the problem stemmed from humans altering the natural course of an animal’s life and habitat.
The pigeon's rise from valued animal to urban pest offers a cautionary tale about human impact. Just as we changed their environment and encouraged their overpopulation, we’ve done the same with cats and dogs. The difference is that while pigeons have been left to survive on city streets, often despised and ignored, cats and dogs are caught in a cycle of dependence on humans—with their overpopulation becoming our ethical responsibility. At least pigeons have the option to fly away from the abuse if given the chance…
Breaking the Cycle
The good news is that we can break the cycle of overpopulation—without resorting to extreme measures like mass culling or neglecting our responsibility. Here’s how:
1. Spay & Neuter Your Pets
The most effective way to control the pet population is through spaying and neutering. Sterilization helps prevent unwanted litters, ensuring that fewer animals end up homeless. It’s a simple, affordable, and responsible choice for every pet owner. Many local shelters and organizations offer free or low-cost spay/neuter programs, making this option accessible for all.
2. Adopt, Don’t Shop
Every time someone buys a pet from a breeder or a pet store, they indirectly contribute to the overpopulation problem. While resourcing is important, Shelters and rescues are filled with animals of all breeds, ages, and temperaments, many of which would make perfect companions. By adopting, you’re not only giving a homeless animal a second chance, but you’re also reducing the demand for breeding and supporting rescues financially.
It is important to know who to support in these endeavors as well. While shelters and animal control are responsible for keeping strays off the street, they should not be held responsible for holding on to the animals— government-funded euthanasia is not the answer. Your adoption efforts are best suited for rescues— More on this in another article— When you adopt from a rescue, you have the following opportunities:
Adopt— The obvious one but the financial support allows the rescue to save pets on death row, fund necessary health care, and increase visibility. There are way too many animals that go unseen and they deserve a chance…
Foster— Many people don’t know that some rescues offer “foster to adopt programs” to help the potential adopter make room in their family for an animal. Additionally, it isn’t well-known either that rescues, even some no-kill shelters, will financially support the animal while in your care. Fostering saves lives by giving the animal the chance to learn who they are!
Share! Share! Share!— The collective human race has the potential to be loud…There is no reason why we can’t be a voice for the voiceless and speak out against the harsh reality of animal cruelty. Species culling is not the way and if we can share the true stories of animals in need, maybe enough people can make a difference and change their future for the better. Share stories and get the word out around the world.
3. Support Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Programs
Here’s a third option! For feral cats, TNR programs have proven to be one of the most humane and effective ways to control their populations. These programs trap feral cats, spay or neuter them, and then return them to their territory. This approach helps prevent the birth of new kittens and improves the lives of existing cat colonies without resorting to euthanasia. Unfortunately, even most feral cats having grown up around humans are friendly and find themselves in unfortunate circumstances. For a cat to show pain in a way we understand makes it difficult to see unfortunate abuse that may have been inflicted. This author knows even around the world, dogs and cats are too easily trafficked.
4. Discourage Neglect | Encourage Kindness
While it is widely observed that people can survive well on a hearty plant-based diet, it is culturally understandable that humans are acceptably a meat-eating species now. Meat is an abundant industry and all over the world, this can be seen. This author would like to bring into focus the harsh reality of the meat industry in Yulin, China. Not all partake but the Yulin Festival, which began in 2009 during the summer solstice for good luck, is predominantly a cat and dog meat trade often sourcing their meat from stolen family pets or taking advantage of the stray population just looking for food. While meat consumption is culturally understandable, maltreatment in life at the end and animal cruelty are unacceptable practices.
It is the opinion of this author that begs an additional plea…is it not in bad taste to consume sentient beings? Why is it culturally acceptable to consume animals that are capable of connection? If we are supposed to consume meat, then why can our jaws move side to side like a plant-eater? Is it not acceptable that a plant eater, like a deer, would eat meat because it could be health-deficient? We humans have the luxury of nutrition in many parts of the world and can help support the growth of better more accessible plant foods. We don’t have to eat meat but we do have to take responsibility for the part we play in the compromised lives of animals.
5. Educate Others
Raising awareness about pet overpopulation is key. Talk to friends, family, and community members about the importance of adopting, spaying, and neutering. Share information about local no-kill shelters and rescue organizations. By educating others, we can help change attitudes and encourage more responsible pet ownership and most importantly speaking out against animal cruelty.
The Future is in Our Hands
We’ve shaped the domestic dog and cat populations to fit our needs and desires, and now it’s time to take responsibility for the consequences of our actions. Pet overpopulation is a human-made crisis, but we have the power to fix it.
Through education, adoption, responsible breeding, and sterilization programs, we can create a future where every cat and dog has a loving home, where shelters are no longer overrun, and where mass euthanasia is a thing of the past. It’s not too late, but we must act now. The future of millions of animals depends on it.
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Article written by Katie Garcia
