How many dogs are euthanized each year?

It is estimated that 3-4 million cats and dogs were euthanized in 2013, according to the Humane Society. This number has significantly decreased from previous years.

In years prior, up to 20 million animals were killed in animal shelters each year. There has been an increase in pet ownership that has caused this number to drop. The number of households owning dogs has more than tripled since the 1970s. Forty-seven percent of households in the United States own at least one dog, with 10 percent owning three or more. Approximately 83 million dogs now have homes. Twenty percent of those dogs have been saved from euthanasia by being adopted from shelters.