The Pet Surplus: What Every Dog and Cat Owner Can Do to Help Reduce It

Here is the first comprehensive review of a survival issue that touches the lives of a majority of Americans -- but hasn't won as much of our active concern as it deserves. Nearly six out of ten U.S. households own at least one dog or cat. As the new century began, over 130,000,000 pets were sharing our lives. Yet every year an estimated 5,000,000 shelter orphans -- healthy, lovable young animals who would make happy and devoted pets -- are doomed to premature death simply for want of sufficient homes.

What can all of us who keep and care about companion animals do to save those "surplus" lives? A great deal. But until now there's been no single, accessible source to enlighten America's pet-owning public on the many large and small ways we can help. This informal and inclusive guide, written by a fellow pet owner with no institutional affiliation, focuses on three prime areas in which thoughtful dog and cat lovers can make a dramatic difference: how we acquire our pets; how scrupulously we manage their birth control; and -- perhaps most important today -- how committed we are to keeping them with us for life.