Animal overpopulation creates big problems and costs big money for Georgia citizens. Even one unsterilized animal can contribute to the overpopulation problem. The only way we can prevent pet overpopulation and the public cost that goes with it is by education about the costs and benefits of spay/neuter.
Unwanted and stray animals can cause:
- Health risks through the spread of diseases like rabies
- Destruction of property
- Destruction of livestock, poultry, and wildlife
- Vehicle accidents
- Injuries to people and other animals
- Increased insurance costs due to destructive behavior and bite cases
The monetary cost of dealing with unwanted cats and dogs in Georgia is sobering:
- It costs approximately $105 of our tax money to kill each unwanted animal.
- Roughly $7.3 million was spent in Metro Atlanta alone in 1999 to destroy unwanted animals.
- The Georgia Department of Human Resources spends at least $3 million annually on rabies post-exposure treatment and testing.
Just how overwhelming is the problem?
One un-sterilized female cat and her offspring can produce 20,000 kittens in only 4 years.
1st Year: 3 litters = 12 Offspring
2nd Year: Could be 144+ Offspring
3rd Year: Could be 1,728+ Offspring
4th Year: Could be 20,736+ Offspring
Just one un-sterilized female dog and her offspring can produce 4,000 puppies in only 7 years
