What’s the Problem?
The problem is that increasingly, millions of pets and companion animals are being euthanized annually for the sole purpose of satisfying their guardian's financial needs. It's a problem referred to as Economic Euthanasia — a condition in which euthanasia is elected based principally on the cost of veterinary care for animals that are treatable or have curable medical conditions. Often, the first step toward Economic Euthanasia is the animal shelter and then, when shelters become unable to sustain their inventory, animals are euthanized. This form of euthanasia, however, is classified as "Institutional Economic Euthanasia ". According to The World Animal Fund (2024), "More than 6.5 million animals entered U.S. shelters and rescues in 2023, marking the fourth consecutive year of overpopulation and adoption rates insufficient to meet the challenge." According to The World Animal Fund, on average, approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year — roughly 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. Each year, approximately 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized (390k dogs, 530k cats).
Although 4.8 million cats and dogs were adopted in 2023, adoptions can’t keep pace with animal intake as economic factors such as job loss, inflation, and housing costs challenge owners to consider a pet or try to maintain one. According to the president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Matt Bershadker, "With more animals entering shelters than leaving, animal welfare organizations and their communities need to continue working together to keep pets in loving homes and out of shelters, including finding ways to increase access to veterinary care and advocating for pet-friendly housing policies."
Further Analysis of the Problem
Economic Euthanasia can be further broken down into distinct underlying categories:
Financial issues arising in the household
Economic factors originating in the veterinary industry
Lack of preventive health knowledge among animal guardians
Economic issues in the animal care and service industry, e.g., kennels, shelters, etc.
General deficit of animal-related health education
Common misconceptions about the benefits of pet insurance
According to Yahoo Finance, "Despite a strong labor market, a higher percentage of American families are struggling to make ends meet today compared to two years ago. In early February 2021, 34.9% of adults reported having difficulty paying for usual household expenses, according to Census Bureau data. Two years later, that number has risen to 39.7%."
Complicating all of the factors that drive up the cost of veterinary care is an acute shortage of veterinarians. According to the USDA, in 2023, the shortage of veterinarians reached a record high, with 500 counties in 46 states deemed a critical shortage of large animal vets.
According to a peer-reviewed study titled "Companion Animal Preventive Care at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital—Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Clients," preventive care is the cornerstone of health. However, the communication of disease prevention among veterinary staff and clients (pet guardians) may be limited, resulting in increased pet risk.
The combined general lack of knowledge of preventive health and deficit of animal-related health education among animal guardians presents another key ingredient in the economic euthanasia problem. Furthermore, while pet insurance plans can be challenging to compare apples-to-apples, with a little help and guidance, many animal guardians would be better served financially by acquiring a pet insurance policy.
