1,800 Cats, Dogs Killed At NJ Animal Shelters Last Year: Data

NEW JERSEY — More than 1,800 cats and dogs were euthanized in New Jersey shelters last year, according to data compiled by a national animal advocacy organization.

Data collected by the Best Friends Animal Society shows New Jersey does a better job than most states saving homeless animals; however, shelters across the Garden State reported that 1,876 cats and dogs were euthanized in 2023.

Almost all the animals euthanized in New Jersey were cats, according to a report citing the organization's data.

The most deaths were reported in Burlington County, where nearly 500 animals were euthanized. Hunterdon and Atlantic counties followed with 330 and 280 deaths, respectively.

“Roughly 7 million people in America are planning to acquire a pet this year, and if just 6 percent more people chose to adopt versus purchase their pets, we would end the killing of dogs and cats in our nation’s shelters,” Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, said in a news release.

According to the data, the most deaths were reported in Texas in California. In Texas, more than 82,600 cats and dogs were euthanized in 2023, followed by more than 66,000 in California.

Despite reported deaths in the Garden State, shelters were able to save or find homes for nearly 58,000 of the 64,727 animals in their care.

According to the Best Friends Animal Society, the organization is working with New Jersey animal welfare organizations and stakeholders statewide to reach statewide no-kill status by 2025.