Shelters around the country euthanize an estimated 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats each year. 45% of all cats who enter shelters are eventually euthanized. For feral cats, that number leaps up to nearly 100%. Roughly 2.7 million dogs and cats are killed each year because shelters are too full.

ABANDONED DOGS Unfortunately the most common cause is the intentional abandonment of a dog by its owner. The typical situation is families that rush to get a puppy not being fully aware of the responsibilities of becoming a dog owner.

That does not mean that you should go petting one because although it might be friendly, it can still carry diseases. There is also a chance that a stray cat may be afraid of humans because of an experience that it may have had after getting lost or in some cases before being abandoned.

Not every free-roaming (wandering the streets without supervision) dog or cat can be called a 'stray'. 'Real' stray dogs and cats have been abandoned by their owners or were born onto the streets and have no one to care for them.