Help us give your pet a voice
Please sign the petition for a national euthanasia reporting and tracking system (NERTS)
To those in power and to all animal lovers, this petition emerges from a personal tragedy. Like millions of devoted pet guardians, I was haunted by the loss of a dear animal companion, a cherished member of our family. This, unfortunately, is not a plight unique to us. Millions of precious pets, both feline and canine family members, are euthanized every year, a heartbreaking reality which is largely invisible due to the lack of a consistent means to report and track animal euthanasia at a national level. This invisibility not only cloaks the magnitude of the problem but also impedes our understanding of this grave issue and stalls substantive discourse and action needed to address it.
Most Americans (62%) own a pet, including about a third (35%) who have more than one. And nearly all U.S. pet guardians (97%) say their pets are part of their family, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. About half of pet guardians (51%) not only consider their pets to be a part of their family but say they are as much a part of their family as a human member.
It's estimated that 1.5 million—670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats—were euthanized across shelters and animal clinics in the United States. But this number does not capture the entirety of animals who are euthanized in various scenarios such as house pets, strays, wildlife and more (ASPCA).
A national animal euthanasia reporting and tracking system would shed much-needed light upon these unknown figures, providing clear insight into the scale of the issue, fueling informed discussions and, crucially, promoting stricter policies on the unnecessary euthanasia of animals.
This plea comes from deep personal experience and an urgent call for change. This painful issue must no longer be shrouded in darkness. Let our loved ones' lives be a part of a larger purpose. Help us establish a national animal euthanasia reporting and tracking system and ensure the visibility, discussion and action this issue urgently requires. Demand change – sign this petition.