Beyond overpopulation: a comment on Zawistowski et al. and Salman et al.

The intentional production and destruction each year of millions of companion animals is a sobering fact. The need for meaningful statistical data on this phenomenon is urgent. No less pressing, however, is the need for a conceptual framework to make sense of the empirical findings. The conventional focus on overpopulation is inadequate and places unnecessary limits on the way in which the problem is approached. I propose in its place a market-based model that takes seriously the role of consumer demand and considers the flaws and inefficiencies distorting the market for companion animals. Shifting attention to the choices consumers make in acquiring and discarding animal companions suggests new possibilities for change and provides a useful focal point for further empirical work.