Companion animal overpopulation costs society hundreds of millions of dollars annually while causing preventable suffering.
Companion animal overpopulation is both a welfare and economic problem. The annual cost of sheltering, euthanizing, and managing unwanted animals runs into hundreds of millions of dollars in the US alone — costs borne by local governments and taxpayers. Low-cost spay-neuter programs are among the most cost-effective welfare interventions available: every dollar invested returns multiple dollars in reduced shelter and population management costs while preventing the suffering of animals that would otherwise be euthanized. Economic framing helps secure funding from stakeholders not motivated by animal welfare alone.