This is a post from a previous year, but is still relevant. The good news is that Rockingham County, NC, where I lived at the time, has lowered the euthanasia rate drastically. Only about 50% of the animals are now dying (down from almost 100% prior to the building of the new shelter). That’s still only a 50/50 chance an unwanted pup would get out alive, but it’s better than nothing. Please, if you are considering a puppy as a gift, be sure you consider everything. Vet bills, training, damage done during the puppy phase, and the lifespan of your new pup. They do not get less expensive as they age, and they need you until the day they die (perhaps more than a decade from now).