About how many dogs and cats are destroyed each year?

One of the main complaints of city residents, surprisingly, is the number of stray dogs and cats roaming the streets. It has been estimated by Friends of Animals, Inc. , a nationwide agency, that over 30 million dogs and cats are wandering through the streets and alleyways of the nation’s cities. Each year, approximately a fifth of these animals are destroyed.
   A survey of 41 cities by Friends of Animals reports that as much as 15 million dollar is spent annually to capture and kill strays. One city alone, Chicago, spends $1 million a year to control its animal population.
   New York, on the other hand, which spends large amounts of money in other programs, does not give appropriate tax money to animal control. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a non-governmental agency, deals wit the problem in New York.