Introduction Animal overpopulation, caused by the failure of spaying and neutering pets, is an extremely relevant issue occurring in the United States. This problem can be solved simply by: encouraging people to adopt animals from shelters instead of breeders, educating individuals on the many responsibilities that come with owning a pet and creating regulations for pets to become neutered and spayed. Humans play a crucial role in putting an end to this problem. Therefore, we can take steps towards fixing this problem that these animals can not take upon themselves. It is up to us to acquire the responsibility of spreading the message on the suffering these beings are enduring, and to commit to building happier and loving lives for our furry friends. Description of Problem The issue of animal overpopulation can be defined in many different ways: from the overcrowding of dogs and cats in humane shelters, the constantly increasing number of homeless animals, the ever growing amount of unwanted and unplanned litters, all the way to the abandonment of pets due to an owner’s lack of commitment. Regardless of what you interpret animal overpopulation as, the general complication is that the animal to available home ratio in the United States is completely unbalanced, leaving thousands of animals abandoned, homeless and uncared for. Not only is animal overpopulation a problem for these beings, it also has a negative impact on our lives as well. The process of putting of finding these …show more content…
All humans are capable of making choices that will impact these creatures lives for the better. This issue must be taken seriously, as it is not only causing the loss of innocent lives, pain, loneliness and suffering, but it is also affecting our lives by creating large bills for us to pay. If everyone worked together to put an end to animal overpopulation, humans and pets could all live easier
The myth of pet overpopulation is a huge campaign that’s considered truth nationwide. The National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) explains this myth and why it’s used. Activists use the myth to put all blame of animal shelter death on breeders. Radical groups perpetuate this myth by making breeding restrictions. This myth is the biggest cause of euthanizing healthy, adoptable animals. Per year, about 3.1 million dogs are adopted while 2.1 million are euthanized. However, this number for euthanized dogs is not broken down by reasoning for euthanization. Overpopulation propagandists often claims this number reaches over 6 million each year. While shelters heavily euthanize adoptable dogs and breeders increasingly use puppy mills, each area across
The purpose of this proposal is to make aware of a large problem the city is facing due to pet over-population and how to resolve without taking the lives of these domesticated animals due to flaws in our laws, community out-reach, and lack of information out there to help pet owners spread across our city. The problem facing our city is that shelters are filled to capacity everyday with the majority being lost or stray animals and the only resolutions would be to either put down close to 100 animals a day or once in a while collaborate with rescues to send then out to other states in need of adoptable animals. However, the solution is right in front of us. By working with local rescues, animals wouldn’t need to be sacrificed and with proper information and assistance with spay/neuter programs, unwanted pets would be prevented, lowering the need for euthanizing.
Pet owner’s need to be aware of the responsibility it is to be a proper pet owner. Domestic animal do not only need their love and attention they require regular visit to the veterinarians where they can take proper precautions for unwanted pregnancies. Every day there are 70,000 puppies and cats that are born there is not enough homes for all these pets.(Harvey,Alyssa) Animal shelters have endorsed sterilization ensuring pet owners that sterilizing a pet is less expensive than the cost of a litter of puppies or kittens. In Hidalgo County I found a clinic that has received a $90,000 grant from PetSmart Charities to spay/neuter to help reduce pet overpopulation. The program offers
Every day in the United States, approximately 10,000 people and 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. There will never be enough homes for all of these animals, and as a result millions are killed by animal control or die by themselves every year. If people would adopt their pets from a rescue or shelter, and not buy from pet stores or breeders, many lives would be saved and a lot of misery would be averted. Also, you end up with a great animal.
Transition: Now that we know what a problem animal overpopulation is, let’s talk about how we can help to solve this issue.
During a crisis of pet overpopulation, it right to kill animals simply because they are not wanted? Or is it ever right thing to do? The United States is faced with the problem of what should be done with the excess of stray animals. This is a complex thing to solve, but that doesn’t mean killing the animals for space is right. Stray dogs and cats have just as much right to a good home as pets that already have owners. No-Kill shelters are beneficial, they provide a safe, pet-friendly environment that would help solve the problems of pet homelessness and overpopulations, as a result of spay and neuter being provided as well.
There are 1.5 dogs and cats put to sleep every second & 4-6 million dogs and cats are euthanized every year, states the Humane Society. The pet overpopulation epidemic has become more than overwhelming. But who is at fault for the ever increasing number of homeless and euthanized pets each year? The public, government and breeders all have their hand in this catastrophic epidemic. So who is to blame for this
As domesticated animals, cats and dogs have been bred over centuries to have high reproductive rates, much higher than that of their human counterparts. Animals can also reproduce at a younger age; for example, a cat can theoretically have kittens starting at about 5 months of age. Add in the facts that cats can have two litters a year, with an average of six kittens per litter, and one finds that the number of unwanted pets can very quickly skyrocket. Thus spaying (removing the sexual organs of female animals) and neutering (removing a male animal’s testes) procedures become incredibly important to maintaining a manageable level of homeless pets in America (“Pet Overpopulation”). Unfortunately, while many owners do “fix” their pets, a significant percentage do not, for a variety of reasons. Some believe that they cannot manage the financial cost of a spay/neuter operation, and yet others think that their pet’s personality will be negatively warped by losing their reproductive capacity Less common justifications include confusion over either what age to spay/neuter an animal or the health consequences of not having at least one litter, and a desire to have children experience “the miracle of birth” (“Reasons People Don’t Spay or Neuter Their Pets” ). These erroneous beliefs lead to the drastic increase of homeless animals nationwide when non-fixed
Results from a nationally conducted survey show that ninety-six percent of Americans agree that society carries the obligation of caring for and protecting animal companions (“Dollars and Sense” 2). This public outcry for better pet treatment applies to Ohioans as well; the movement’s increasing popularity brings up the question of whether or not shelters in Ohio should adopt a no-kill policy or stand by the old euthanasia philosophy. Supporters of kill shelters complain that the alternative overwhelmingly relies on external funds and volunteers and could become overpopulated with pets. In contrast, proponents of the no-kill policy argue that it is more humane than its opponent, employing methods such as neutering,. foster care, and adoption
Animal overpopulation is a huge problem and you, and every other human, contributes to this problem when you don’t spay or neuter
Another simple solution to help the ongoing pet overpopulation is education. Being aware of where your pet actually came from is the first step. Do not be afraid to ask questions about your pet's background. Know the breeder's history and reputation. Are they local or out of state? Towell states that “Each year, millions of lost and unwanted dogs and cats end up at animal shelters across the U.S. Half of those animals must be euthanized because of simple math: There are too many animals and not enough good homes”. (Lisa Towell). Simply by adoption from a shelter rather than a breeder can help this problem. Animal shelters are overcrowded leading to euthanasia “Overcrowding may lead to single housing of animals to minimize animal contact
Countless lives locked away in cages and forgotten about have overwhelmed our society, it has left blood stains on our history as a species and if history has taught us anything, it’s that we have a choice to change our ways of adjusting to situations. A war which was fought in pursuit of ending such criminal means, yet we as human beings do little to nothing to end the horrific crimes of animal deaths in shelters. It is no secret that this world has become infused with problems that have extended from one side of the globe to the other. Amongst these problems lies a terrible truth: nearly every year, sums of almost eight million cats and dogs have been placed in shelters around the world. Out of these vast numbers, half will be
Spaying and neutering is the most effective way of helping to manage the overwhelmingly excessive dog population problem that is affecting the nation. In the U.S. alone, seven puppies are born for every human. In 1980, over 23 million animals were sadly euthanized. In 2002, that number significantly dropped to nearly 4.7 million. Pet sterilization successfully lowers the breeding process, meaning that less puppies are adopted or euthanized at pet shelters. Unfortunately, over three million dogs are put to sleep every
Everyone is affected by overpopulation, even those who do not own pets. Human health is at risk from all the stray animals having transmittable diseases such as rabies and the animal waste.
The topic of overpopulation has different perspectives regarding whether or not it is happening as well as its apparent effects of both the environment and its inhabitants. The idea of human overpopulation being a problem most clearly begins around the time of Thomas Robert Malthus’ publishing of An Essay on the Principle of Population as It Affects the Future Improvement of Society, with Remarks on the Speculations of Mr. Godwin, M. Condorcet, and Other Writers. In his writing, Malthus describes how the growth of the human population will always outgrow the resources required to maintain it. “The increase of population will take place, if unchecked, in a geometric progression, while the means of subsistence will increase in only an