Pet Overpopulation

Last week the Prescott Humane Society held a poodle dress fundraiser. There was fun, games, t-shirts, promotional pen or promotional pens for those interested. The fundraiser has been held annually for a few years. The members of the society use the fundraiser to raise awareness about animal cruelty, responsible pet ownership, and to raise funds for shelters.

Most people love animals, especially cats and dogs. We call them our best friends, spending billions and billions on food and other supplies for them as a nation every year. But every year in the United States millions of cats and dogs are given up to shelters and to the streets, where most die. Pet Overpopulation has become a serious issue in this country. There are only about 5000 pet shelters in the whole of the U.S. While it is great news that shelters are able to take in 7 million cats and dogs every year, only half of these will find good homes from the shelter. The rest are euthanized, a sad fact that accompanies the fact that pet shelters do not have the capability to take in so many animals.

If we truly love these animals as we say, we must take drastic measures to protect them from what they cannot protect themselves against: themselves. It is up to us to institute sterilization programs so that we don't have to kill the animals who would be born. Cats and dogs reproduce much faster than humans. Dogs can give birth twice a year and have 6-10 puppies, while cats can have as many as 3 litters a year of 4-6 kittens. In six to seven years a cat or a dog and their babies may give birth to a hundred more. Sterilization programs can prevent a lot of unwanted animals, and in areas where such programs have been started there has been a dramatic 30-60 percent decrease in the number of animals in shelters that need to be euthanized.

There are many complex parts that need to be taken into consideration when imp[lamenting such a plan. The community needs to get involved, local veterinarians, educational session and campaigns, and subsidized clinics. Laws can be passed to ensure that animals are sterilized , or increasing the cost of a license for an animal that is not spayed or neutered.

There are great consequences if action is not taken. There are too many animals for the amount of people who have taken them in. Some animal shelters have become huge holding areas for dogs and cats waiting to die. This widespread cruelty to animals encourages and permits cruelty everywhere. Strays can disrupt neighborhoods, scaring or biting people, getting into trash cans, and scaring away wildlife. About 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs every year, many of them strays. Dangerous dogs can be a result of overpopulation or breeding that disregards the dogs temperament. Instead of trying to deal with the consequences of overpopulation, we need to eliminate the problem from its roots. Spay or neuter your pets.