The stray animal population is a quality of life problem that has an impact on the public safety and public health of communities in the Greater Houston area. Fortunately, it is a solvable problem, and once it is rectified the lives of people in these neighborhoods will improve instantly.

To gauge the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the stray animal population, Houston PetSet distributed a survey to our animal welfare partners. 55% of respondents said that there is a higher volume of stray animals on the streets as compared to before the virus hit Houston. Learn more about the survey’s findings via the button below.

The Rice Kinder Houston Area Survey (2020) found that 64 percent of the survey participants say they are in favor of spending more tax money to reduce the number of strays in Houston neighborhoods. In addition, fully one-fourth (25 percent) said that stray dogs or cats were a somewhat serious or very serious problem in their neighborhood.

The Rice Kinder Houston Area Survey (2018) found that more than one in four Harris County residents say that stray dogs and cats are a very serious problem in their neighborhood. In addition, a total of 54% of Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend County residents identified that stray dogs and cats are a problem in their neighborhood.

The 2010 UT Health of Houston Survey found that nearly 40% of surveyed residents identified stray dogs and cats as the most significant problem in their neighborhood, outranking crime, drinking water, and air pollution.

In the 2017-2018 Survey, respondents reported that stray animals were their top concern (34%), outranking crime (26%), drinking water (19%) and dumping waste (17%).

Houston PetSet commissioned Rice University’s Houston Action Research Team at the beginning of 2017 to assess the state of animal welfare in Houston and Harris County. The research team’s findings can be found in the Houston Animal Welfare Study, available for download via the button below.