Growing up I was one of those kids that would find abandoned or lost animals on the street and run home crying and begging my mom if we could please keep it, the answer was usually no but we would always check for a collar or tags then take it back home or call the animal shelters to come pick the lost pet up. The older I got the more I began to realize how many animals the shelters in my community and surrounding area had to take in and care for and how much of a financial and emotional drain it could be on the workers, of course I wanted to do my part to help these poor innocent animals and I began volunteering after school and during the summer whenever I had the chance. This experience showed me both the good and the bad of what animal …show more content…
(Friends for Pets’ Foundation, 2014) Many animals that end up in shelters are a result of animal abuse and have been rescued and brought in to see if they are possibly adoptable or if the owner just got in over their head and might have needed a bit of outside of help to properly care for their pet. In 2007 there were 1,800 cases of animal abuse reported (Wall Street Journal, 2008 p.1), and this number is sure to rise year after year if nothing is done to make harsher laws and more severe punishments, which will only lead to animal shelters having to deal with more overcrowding and even pets that may be to aggressive to adopt out that will have to be humanely euthanasia. The simplest but most often controversial solution to animal shelter overpopulation is spaying and neutering your pets. Spaying is when you allow your female animal to undergo a surgical procedure to have her reproductive organs removed, and neutering is the surgical counter part for a male animal, but often most people will use neutering for both genders. A certified veterinarian in an office, clinic, or other similar location does this medical procedure, so that the animals no longer have the urge to breed or reproduce.
To be more specific, animals get abused or abandoned every 10 seconds which shouldn't be happening. Overall about 7.6 million animals go into shelters nationwide and out of those only 3-4 million of them get adopted every year. Not only do 2.7 million dogs and cats get killed every year because the shelters get too full and there aren’t enough homes to adopt them but in high kill shelters animals get killed if they aren't adopted in a certain amount of time. Around easter time people buy chicks and rabbits, and often abandon them, not realizing they still need care and they also will dye these animals different colors thinking it will do them no harm but in reality it does. That is why in some states that is illegal. Abandoning animals in many states is a crime. 1 out of every 10 dogs get a home they will always live in which means that most dogs do not get a home that they will always live in and less than 20% of cats and 15-20% of dogs get reunited with their owner after they are lost. Homeless animals outnumber humans 5-1 which are a lot. One way to help animals is by adopting abused or abandoned animals. People can also donate to charities that help abandoned animals. Many animals go to shelters because they get left behind by their owners or they were found on the streets. Most pets that are stray were kept indoors. There are about 70 million stray cats in the united states. Animal Abuse and abandonment are
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.
Imagine walking into an animal shelter, seeing the dogs and cats locked up behind bars wanting to be adopted. At an animal shelter, homeless animals are continuously looking for a home everywhere. An animal shelter in Ohio is CHA animal shelter, they are a nonprofit organization. They provide temporary care and shelter for cats and dogs and try their best to find them a loving home. Also, they provide surgery to spay or neuter the animal, and give the animal it’s required shots. Adding to, they provide an implanted microchip so the owner can track their animal if it is ever lost. CHA animal shelter has also provided a public website to view pictures of the cats and dogs and a brief background on the animal. They also have an option for donations for emergency situations, food, and supply, etc. The fact that they offer donations is remarkable because some individuals do not want to adopt a pet, but want to be apart of promoting adoption and give support to the organization. Not only does the organization try to make the pet’s life the best at the animal shelter, but CHA also hosts events to get people’s interest and gives the animals time out of the cage. I have adopted a dog from an animal shelter and it has been the best decision ever. Knowing I saved animals live brought more joy and love into my life, and nevertheless, he is the best little jack russel ever. Although I could have got a puppy from Petland, the choice of adopting a dog not only saved me money but also allowed me to save his life as well and improve his quality of life. An individual who adopts a pet is rescuing it from neglect and is giving that precise animal a second chance. In conclusion, I believe that CHA animal shelter is the best place to adopt a pet because it is less expensive than buying an animal from a pet store, it decreases puppy mills, and the individual can pick a dog or cat of any age.
Spay is the term for female animals while neutering is used for male animals. Both are surgical procedures to remove the reproductive organs of the animal. By performing these procedures, our pets cannot contribute to the problem because they cannot reproduce. According to Northwest Spay and Neuter, if every pet was fixed then the overpopulation problem would be fix in less than 10 years. If we put it into these terms is it easier to understand: just one female dog and her puppies can result in 67,000 dogs in six years, and one female cat and her kittens can lead to 370,000 cats being born in seven years.
In the United States, about 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters every year. The overpopulation of these animals and the fact that they have no homes leads to about 40% of them being euthanized (ASPCA). This is a global issue, but the root of it can be found within the local community at The Humane Society of the Ohio Valley.
The article claims that some sort of registry needs to be established. For instance, an abuser could ignore their restrictions after jail time, go to another state, and easily obtain more animals, since shelters have no notice of their past abuse. Also, abusing animals can be linked to many other crimes, such as crimes involving violence, drugs, and property, domestic violence, sex offenses, or even murder. For example, they discussed how after an investigation, serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, was found guilty of abusing animals, which led up to his vicious acts against humans.
“So while not all shelters can ‘‘afford’’ to keep the animals, they could find people who will foster the animals until adoption, or some other, positive alternative.” (www.neenink.com) “Why, if an animal is not a harm to others, should it be killed without any choice? The animals can’t speak for themselves. Their fates depend on us to be their voice”. “Are you up for the challenge? I know I am”.(www.neenink.com) This shows that the issue of pet abandonment is that people sometimes need a companion to help them through their life and if the people of the world keep on putting their animals in a shelter, then they end up getting put down then one day there won’t be a special furry friend by your side. Some people who go through mental depression get so scared that one day they might commit suicide but the animals stop them from doing
An animal shelter is a place where stray, lost, abandoned, or surrendered animals, mostly dogs and cats and sometimes sick or wounded wildlife, are brought. Animal shelters are essential in the United States because of inattentive pet proprietorship and uncontrolled breeding of animals. People often get pets without a full understanding of the time, money, and space that they require. Regrettably, that recurrently results in pets being abandoned or abused by these owners. Apart from accountable breeders, owners should spay or neuter their pets to stop the serious overpopulation problem, which is happening in the United States. Shelters do not treat or stop the problem of unwanted pets but without them the stray pet population would be astronomical. There would be more problems with disease spread and an increased incidence of stray animal-induced injuries. A shelter should also be a domicile where animals could be benign and feel loved and taken care of; not just a drop off. The shelter in my community tries to do their best with their animals, but I feel that the shelter needs to be able to do their jobs better and for the animals to feel comfortable.
Every 60 seconds an animal is abused. Dogs, cats, horses, and many other types of animals are being neglected and tortured everyday, yet resulting in few and minor consequences for the perpetrators. Animal abuse is prevalent in the United States and has been an ongoing issue since the 1970's, and prior to. Society as a whole has chosen to avoid the facts and arguments about animal cruelty, because to some it is seen as acceptable and typical. It becomes much more frowned upon when people actually see the results of the cruelty, especially in the media.
Over the centuries, animals have suffered from cruelty from humans. In the United States, animals are beaten, neglected, or forced to struggle for survival. Animals have been inflicted with pain from humans for reasons other than self-defense. They have been slaughtered for their food and fur for personal gain in profit. In a majority of cases they have even been abused for someone’s own personal amusement or out of rage filled impulses. In some cases animals are found and rescued. They are given the second chance in life to experience what life should be like compared to what they once had.
There are many ways for us to help prevent overpopulation in animals, however, the most effective way is to just spay or neuter. Spaying and neutering is basically removing the reproductive organs of an animal so that it won’t be able to produce any offspring. Of course with every new concept in life, a series of doubts and concerns are met, in this particular case: myths. Myths such a sudden reaction of laziness and gaining of weight from the animal due to the procedure, the animal being purebred or special and the process interfering with future generations of animals, causing the male cat or dog to feel less of a male, and thinking its best to have a litter of before spaying the female pet. All such myths have been disproved as the act of laziness and weight gain comes from the owners actions in overfeeding their animal and having absolutely nothing to do with spaying or neutering, the reality that one out of four animals put into shelters are purebred and the rest are mixed and therefore no mutation will come from it, the gender identity does not exist within the pet and as a result there will be no sudden cases of emotional reaction when neutered.
Many may ask, why waste a valuable life? Why kill when you can just save them and adopt? Animals deserve the chance to live just like any person in this world does. Over the past 20 years, animal shelter communities in the United States has been grappling with the overpopulation problem of domestic animals (Rowan). Nationally, around four million animals are killed in animal shelters each year. Of the animals killed, roughly 95% of the shelters animals and treatable and healthy (Winograd). Each year between two to four million animals are euthanized (Winograd). Normally these animals are domestic such as dogs, cats, horses, and so on. Most people like to believe that the animals are being put down because an incurable disease but that is far from the truth. You have to take in account those who are euthanized because there are not enough homes or space to
Each year, the most extreme cases of animal abuse receive media attention. Yet, the animal cruelty problem is more widespread than is reported in the media. Animal abuse and neglect is a nationwide issue, affecting thousands of animals nationwide. Cruelty to animals is defined as the infliction of physical pain, suffering or death on an animal, beyond what is necessary. There is a need to stop abusers from acting in such a horrific manner–preventing the neglect and suffering of the animals. What causes animal abusers to act in such a cruel way towards animals? How are cases of animal abuse being managed, and how should cases be handled? Finally, does the status of animals in society contribute to the rate of their abuse?
There are many problems with abandoning an animal, in some states it is even a crime. Some abandoned animals get sent to testing facilities, to which they will be scarred even further. Animals of all species can be subject to abuse and abandonment, and over 6,000,000 animals are abandoned each year in the United States of America (Aldf). Another problem with abandoning an animal is that it can become feral, to which a person or child could walk by and get attacked. Any time a person goes to a shelter and sees a dog or even a kitten, and thinks, “I wish I could”, they need to think financially, and then they need to think about the animals needs. If a person knows that they cannot take care of a pet but have enough to help, they should. However, if people see a commercial for animal abandonment, they are more likely to call and make a donation rather than going to the local shelter to make a donation.
So why is this happening? There are many things that can contribute to the massive amount of animals entering shelters every year. Some of the reasons for overpopulation can be giving up problematic or even old, sick pets, and continuing to over-produce pets through breeding and the lack of neutering or spaying. Many people think animals in shelters are pets that have been