Dogs and Cats: I wonder why...

Interesting question.

Perhaps it's not so much that one specie's population is so much more than the other, but that both represent numbers significantly higher than the human population wanting or needing animal companions. Which makes both numbers a potential tragedy whether one is statistically higher than the other.

But of course I'm only guessing.

Yeah, but I think it's a bit of a myth nowadays that there are higher numbers of companion animals than are wanted by humans nowadays, at least in the USA.
A Pet Overpopulation Survey : Nathan J Winograd

Here in San Diego county, the adoption rate for dogs in shelters is about 97%. Puppies get adopted right away, and I mean right away. If the adults don't get adopted quite as quickly, it's not because of a numbers thing, but rather because people prefer to get a puppy.

Yup. I guess it all lies in whatever statistics animal control services offer. But how accurate can they truly be?

I see lots of stray cats compared to stray dogs...

What bothers me is that the "pet overpopulation" thing is used to discourage private individuals from breeding their pets, but its advocates don't devote themselves with equal fervor to arguing against puppy mills. Bullying most private pet owners into sterilizing their pets without accompanying that with an equally fervent crusade against puppy mills, only leads to more business for puppy mills.

Puppy mills. That's kind of a dirty word to many Yorkie owners. I agree with you there.

There's a significant push to neuter/spay both dogs and cats in my area, so I'm not seeing an appreciable difference. However, the leash law only applies to dogs, because cats generally don't frighten people in the way a dog can.

Their was a old couple on the corner of our block who fed the stray cats and they would take the females in to get neutered. I don't know how they could affored to do that their house was so small it would almost qualify as a doll house, but it was nice of them.
But now they are gone and people still dump their cats here thinking they will get fed. So when I see a new cat that looks like it has been a house pet I feel really bad, I wish I could feed them but we already have three orphand cats. I brakes my heart to think on some sweet house with no survival skills sitting out there crying and hungry.
I don't believe in eternal hell fire but heartless people who dump pets like that should at least get chased with a taser or something. I really don't understand how someone could be so cold hearted, you should at least take your pet to the pet adoption place. Think on how terrible it would be to die crying, lonely, and hungry.

(dogs only breed when their owners let them) Actually that is not universally true, I have seen dogs in dog parks locked together in coitus. Once it begins it's very difficult to pull two dogs apart without hurting the both of them, so you don't do it. Have also noticed dogs that get loose in places I've lived and search for females in heat.
It happens more than you might know.