peta_inspectionThe Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) requires all animal shelters to report the number of cats and dogs they take in each year. The records indicate how many cats and dogs were reclaimed by their owners, adopted out, transferred to other Virginia releasing agencies (i.e. animal shelters and animal control), transferred to out-of-state releasing agencies, died of natural causes, euthanized (killed), and how many the shelter held alive at the end of the calendar year. We added the dogs and cats euthanized and divided by the total number of dogs and cats taken in excluding those held only for sterilization surgery to determine the percentage of dogs and cats PETA killed in a given year. In 2009, Virginia modified its policy and eliminated animals held for sterilization from the records.

We obtained the reports by filing public records requests under Virginia’s sunshine laws with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The information for years 2004-2010 is also available on the VDACS website for public inspection (animals classified as “other” from 2004-2009 include those reported by PETA as held for sterilization).

Dogs and Cats killed by PETA

Year Received † Transferred Adopted Killed
2023 3,136 621 38 1.2% 2,471 78.8%
2022 2,828 663 58 2.10% 2,092 74.0%
2021 2,355 623 27 1.1% 1,699 71.1%
2020 2,595 836 33 1.2% 1,719 66.2%
2019 2,421 807 29 1.1% 1,578 65.20%
2018 2,470 658 35 1.42% 1,771 71.70%
2017 2,445 585 44 1.8% 1,809 74.0%
2016 1,963 488 57 2.9% 1,411 71.9%
2015 1,974 446 60 3.0% 1,456 73.8%
2014 2,631 252 39 1.5% 2,324 88.3%
2013 2,175 311 46 2.1% 1,792 82.4%
2012 1,843 130 19 1.0% 1,647 89.4%
2011 1,992 34 24 1.2% 1,911 95.9%
2010 2,345 63 44 1.9% 2,200 93.8%
2009 2,366 31 8 0.3% 2,301 97.3%
2008 2,216 34 7 0.3% 2,124 95.8%
2007 1,997 35 17 0.9% 1,815 90.9%
2006 3,061 46 12 0.4% 2,981 97.4%
2005 2,165 69 146 6.7% 1,946 89.9%
2004 2,655 1 361 13.6% 2,278 85.8%
2003 2,224 1 312 14.0% 1,911 85.9%
2002 2,680 2 382 14.3% 2,298 85.7%
2001 2,685 14 703 26.2% 1,944 72.4%
2000 2,681 28 624 23.3% 2,029 75.7%
1999 1,805 91 386 21.4% 1,328 73.6%
1998* 943 125 133 14.1% 685 72.6%
Total 60,651 6,994 3,644 6.12% 49,520 81.52%

* figures represent the second half of 1998 only
† Other than spay/neuter animals
» Skeptical? Click here to see the proof.