Pet Bytes: Americans Can’t Afford Their Pets—And It’s Pushing Shelters to the Brink

An estimated 20 million U.S. pets live in poverty alongside their families. Nearly 43% of pet guardians struggle to afford basic pet care, and 12% of Americans—almost 40 million—have given up a pet in recent years due to financial hardship. Yet, according to a Harris Poll for the Humane Society, only 28% of Americans are aware of this growing crisis.

Shelters are sounding the alarm:

• Nearly 50% of animal shelters reported more euthanized dogs in 2023–2024.

• Shelter Animals Count warns: "Perfectly adoptable dogs are losing their lives—and it’s a crisis."

This threatens decades of progress. In the 1970s, 13.5 million pets were euthanized annually. By 2019, that number dropped below 1 million. But today, rising costs, overpopulation, and underfunded shelter systems are reversing those gains.

Key drivers of economic euthanasia include:

• Financial hardship among pet guardians

• Overcrowded shelters

• Lack of pet insurance

• Inaccessible or unaffordable veterinary care

Veterinary costs are climbing faster than inflation, driven by rising medical supply prices, wage increases, and a national vet shortage. If we don’t act soon, the crisis will only deepen.