how many dogs are euthanized in shelters every year
1 An estimated 6 to 8 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year. 2  Millions more are abandoned, only to suffer from illness or injury before dying. 3  Source: Doris Day Animal League. 4  The perceived high cost of altering is not the problem, but the lack of education, i.e., its benefits.