(Anywhere, USA — February 18, 2025) – Puppies and kittens are increasingly impacting shelter populations, and as cute as they are, pet adoptions aren’t keeping pace with intake. This imbalance makes it more crucial than ever to seek out spay/neuter resources for pets, according to United Spay Alliance, (USA) a national nonprofit which promotes affordable, accessible, and timely spay/neuter services.
February 25 is World Spay Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of spaying and neutering pets.
Since the pandemic, there have been shifts in access, availability and cost of spay/neuter, leaving many pet owners unable to find or afford the surgery. This has resulted in an increasing birth rate, which continues to overwhelm shelters and rescues, and is saturating communities.
Shelter Animals Count, (SAC), the most trusted and current source for animal sheltering data, estimates that 28% (842,000) of the 2.9 million dogs entering organizations in 2024 were puppies under five months old. The number has been steadily increasing and is 31,000 more puppies than 2023.
SAC data from 2024 showed more than half (57%) of the 2.9 million felines entering shelters were kittens under five months, representing nearly 1.7 million kittens. This means slightly more than a quarter of the total animal intake in 2024 was kittens, so intake numbers could be vastly reduced through increased spay/neuter.
United Spay Alliance provides a valuable, interactive tool called the Spay/Neuter Referral Directory to help pet owners find lower-cost spay/neuter options in their area.
“While shelters and rescues continue to need all types of community support, the years since the pandemic have shown that we can’t save enough lives by depending exclusively on reactive solutions like adoption, foster and transport,” said Brianna Lovell Myers, Executive Director for United Spay Alliance. “Once litters are born, the animals need somewhere to go and people to care for them, and with too few homes and overcrowded shelters, preventing them from being born is the kindest option. Proactive prevention through spay/neuter reduces births and is key to reducing overpopulation and decreasing euthanasia of adoptable pets.”
“Getting an appointment may look different than pre-pandemic due to a national vet shortage and increasing costs of veterinary care, but it’s worth the effort to call around and check the Spay/Neuter Directory for resources,” Myers said. “Call as early as possible to get an appointment, as there may be a wait of weeks or months for lower-cost services. Even if there is a wait, following through is worth the delay considering the health and behavior benefits to the pet and the importance of spay/neuter in saving lives and alleviating the pressure on overburdened shelters.”
United Spay Alliance is dedicated to creating a future where every cat and dog has the opportunity to thrive in a loving home. USA addresses the root cause of pet overpopulation by promoting access to spay/neuter. The organization champions the expansion of high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) programs, supports grassroots organizations, and empowers communities with tools and knowledge to increase access to these critical services .USA also promotes February as Feline Fix by Five Awareness Month—a timely reminder of the importance of early-age spay/neuter to stop litters before they start and help cats live longer, healthier lives.
According to the 2024 Mars State of Pet Homelessness Report for the United States, only 74% of 94.7 million owned dogs are spayed or neutered, and only 77% of 91.8 million owned cats are spayed or neutered, leaving an estimated 25 million pet dogs and 21 million pet cats intact and able to breed. Additionally, there are an estimated 41 million stray cats and dogs. Some of the older intact pets may have been among the estimated 2.7 million pets whose spay/neuter surgeries were missed early in the pandemic, but most are younger than “pandemic pets” who are four to five years old, and were born as subsequent generations.
Adopting from shelters or rescue groups also helps solve the community pet crisis on multiple levels. In the most immediate sense, adopting saves the life of a pet and opens up a kennel, cage or foster home for another animal to have a chance to be adopted. Additionally, pets from shelters and rescues are almost always spayed or neutered, or come with a spay/neuter contract requiring the pet to be sterilized when an appointment becomes available. This prevents more puppies and kittens from being born into already saturated communities. Pets from other sources are very often not spayed or neutered, so many are bred or have accidental litters, adding to the number of animals in search of homes.
For those who are looking to add a pet to the family, adoption from a shelter or rescue comes with a financial advantage as well. Because spay/neuter, vaccinations and often microchips are included in the adoption fee, these costs won’t present a later surprise or expense for new pet owners. With increasing costs of vet care, the inclusion of these services can save the adopter hundreds of dollars or more. By adopting a pet, you not only save a life, you save a lot of money, which leaves more in your budget for future pet care.
In 2024, nearly 6 million dogs and cats entered animal shelters and rescue organizations. Shelters across the country are full, and are now entering their fifth year of having too many animals and not enough adoptions—especially for dogs. Because many shelters and rescues are operating at- or over-capacity, overall intake is likely lower than it would be if space were available.
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About United Spay Alliance
United Spay Alliance (USA) envisions a future where every cat and dog has a loving home. USA works to make this a reality by championing affordable, accessible, and timely spay/neuter services. From maintaining a nationwide directory of low-cost services to fostering collaboration through the State Leader Network and empowering veterinarians with programs like HQHVSN wet labs and Feline Fix by Five, USA leads with proactive prevention. In 2024, USA launched United We Spay, a podcast sharing inspiring stories from the spay/neuter movement. Learn more at unitedspayalliance.org or follow @UnitedSpayAlliance on Facebook and Instagram.
