Pulse - November 2022 - 13

breeders, or turning to the internet, where
a puppy broker finds what they're looking
for, most often from a large-scale commercial
breeding facility.
Have the social awareness campaigns
been so successful that we're facing a
shortage of dogs? And, if so, what should
we do about it? It's a controversial issue,
and I sat down with six industry experts to
dig into it.
Is there a dog shortage in the
U.S.?
" If I were to walk into Animal Care and
Control and say, 'You know we have a dog
shortage,' I don't think I'd get out alive, "
said longtime pet health journalist and
radio host Steve Dale, CABC. " It's insulting.
Instead of a dog shortage, I'd say we
have fewer easily obtainable choices now
than we used to have. If you're willing to
wait, you can still get that purebred dog, it
just might take a year. "
While we may not have a dog shortage
now, the numbers indicate a potential
shortage in the future.
" There are a lot of dogs in the U.S. And,
when you look at the average lifespan of
dogs, about 8 to 9% of those dogs will pass
away every year, just because of lifespan, "
said Joyce Briggs, MS, president of the Alliance
for Contraception in Cats and Dogs.
" To replenish those dogs and keep the
population at that level, without accounting
for growth, we'll need 7 to 8 million
new dogs every year. "
The numbers
According to the U.S. Census Bureau,
there are approximately 331.9 million
people and 122.4 million households
in the U.S., with about 2.6 people per
household. Data reported in June 2022
from AVMA's Pet Ownership Survey
revealed that 44.6-47.3% of U.S. households
have a dog, with an average of 1.46
dogs per household. That means approximately
54.6-57.9 million U.S. households
have a dog, and there are approximately
79-84.5 million dogs in the U.S.
The Institute for Animals' " A Comprehensive
Review of the Dog Population in the
U.S. " found that the U.S. population in 2050
is projected to be 390-435 million people,
and the U.S. dog population is expected to
be approximately 95-105 million.
That means Americans
are
NOVEMBER 2022
expected
to want up to 17 million more dogs than
PULSE
we're projected to have in 2050. Where
will the dogs come from?
" Shelter adoptions are really important,
but they aren't filling the replenishment
of dogs every year, " Briggs said. " We need
to plan better and have an intentional system
where we are balancing the number of
new dogs to the number of people wanting
dogs, and ensuring we don't create an
overpopulation that results in euthanasia. "
Why are there still dogs in
shelters?
While some shelters are still experiencing
crowded conditions and high euthanasia
rates, the number of canine shelter
intakes in the U.S. is actually declining.
The ASPCA estimates that approximately
3.1 million dogs enter U.S. shelters each
year, down from 3.9 million in 2011. And,
Shelter Animals Count data shows a 21%
decrease in shelter intakes of dogs between
2019 and 2021.
But that's what we want, right? Fewer
dogs in shelters has been the goal for
decades. The successful marketing of the
importance of spay/neuter and " adopt,
don't shop " have led to fewer dogs without
homes, and that's great. But, these have also
made it increasingly difficult for those who
want a dog-especially a certain type, size,
or age of dog-to find the perfect furry
companion for their family.
" We aspire to have all adoptable dogs
in shelters find a home, not for all dogs to
come from animal shelters. Who would
wish a shelter stay for a dog? We need to
work toward a better vision for dogs, from
the beginning, " Briggs said.
" The system that we have for acquiring
dogs is deeply broken. It's clear that there
are not enough dogs born in shelters to
supply the country's needs, " explained Jessica
Hekman, DVM, PhD, president of the
Functional Dog Collaborative.
But if there aren't enough dogs in
shelters for everyone who wants one,
why aren't all the dogs in shelters being
adopted? Dr. Hekman cited three primary
reasons:
The experts
Marty Becker, DVM, founder of Fear Free
Joyce Briggs, MS, president of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs
Steve Dale, CABC, radio host, pet health journalist
Jessica Hekman, DVM, PhD, president of the Functional Dog Collaborative
Kate Hurley, DVM, DABVP (Shelter Medicine), director of the UC Davis Koret Shelter
Medicine Program
Bruce Truman, MBA, founder of BLT Technology & Innovation Group
13
Pulse - November 2022

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