Ah, that’s why so many dog and cat rescues come from Texas / the south.
Basically

* better climate for strays
* less money for neuter programs
* less of a culture of neutering
* more of a culture of letting animals wander.
* greater poverty.

Combine that with higher adoption and less intake in the northern states (due to not having the above problems), and you have a supply / demand pair.

But seriously ffs get your animal fixed, especially if you’re going to do something dumb like let it wander.