Why Should I Support Pet Shelters?

Dear Pet Lovers,

All Across the US, employees and volunteers in pet shelters and animal control facilities see the results of irresponsible pet ownership and animal overpopulation on a daily basis. However, many are unaware of how big this problem is. The following figures appear below courtesy of independent studies and the best estimates by experts in the animal welfare and related fields. These should be considered estimates only. These are national estimates; the figures may vary from state to state.

According to the latest research and data, 6.3 Million Animals Enter US Animal Shelters Yearly.  

 for more information on animal welfare, checkout this article  https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/animal-cruelty-statistics/

• Each year, approximately 1.2 million dogs are euthanized
• Over 2.5 million shelter animals are adopted each year. About 542,000 dogs who enter shelters as strays are returned to their owners.
• Of the dogs entering shelters, approximately 35% are adopted, 31% are euthanized and 26% of dogs who came in as strays are returned to their owner.
• Twice as many animals enter shelters as strays compared to pets relinquished by their owners.

Each year,approximately 6.3 million dogs and cats enter shelters in the US alone. Millions will have their life ended prematurely. In the USA we spend around 1 billion dollars to capture, house and euthanize homeless animals. In LA County California alone approximately 200 dogs are euthanized EVERY DAY.

Stopping Pet Overpopulation

Millions of pets are simply abandon, left to suffer illness and injury before dying.

 Source: Doris Day Animal League

It is all pet owners responsibilty to have their pets fixed. We must stop those ith pets from allowing them to have litters. People must be educated that the cute puppy in front of them may end up unwanted and  on the streets, in a shelter or euthanized.

Shelters can simply not support the large number of accidental dog and cat litters. pet surrenders and stay animals that arrive everyday nationwide.

Over a female dog’s lifetime, they can have over 100 babies fathered by thousands of male dogs.

 If only %5 of the total was devoted to spay/neauter programs 250 clinics could be opened to steralize more than 4 million animals. –Source:  ryannewmanfoundation.org/news

Each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. Source: Spay USA

• Bluntly put, "Owner ignorance" populates shelters with abandoned dogs and cats.

 Pet Neutering costs: Many humane societies and animal control organizations offer low cost spay neuter services. While the cost may seem prohibitive to some it is still far less than the cost of feeding and raising a litter of pups. Spaying a male dog saves tax dollars: on average it costs about $100 to capture house feed and eventually kill a homeless animal.  The cost for a female is even higher.        Source: Doris Day Animal League

GIVE A DESERVING PET A HAPPY HOME

How  To Help

• Treat the pets you have well. Pets that spend most of their time separated from the family, either in crates or in the yard, are at greater risk of being surrendered to shelters. Consider this: While our world consists of interests outside our pets, we are their ENTIRE world and depend on us exclusively for their socialization and well-being.
• Memorial Gift Donating to the ASPCA is a wonderful alternative to standard gift giving and is a perfect way to honor the special people and animals in your life. Not only will your Honor or Memorial gift express your love—it’ll also help give the gift of life to animals in need.

 (ASPCA) has worked for 150 years to put an end to animal abuse and neglect. Donation from guardians provide a consistent, reliable income stream that allows us to spend less time fundraising—and more time saving lives.

• Becoming a monthly contributor to a shelter in your area. It is an easy, efficient and tax-deductible way to fight cruelty and make a difference for animals all year long.
• Donate your time. Share your love- you’ll get slobbery kisses in return!
• Most any shelter welcomes volunteers. Walk a shelter dog, Play with a sheltered animal, Clean up -cleaning cages washing bedding
• Train a shelter dog. Teach a dog to sit, not to jump walk on a leash.
• Donate Stuff Contact your shelter see what they could use. Some shelters collect newspapers to line cages, need bedding-(old blankets). What about that collar or crate your dog out grew?
• Volunteering can be a family affair. Show your kids how to give back to the community –Get your body moving -it might even be fun and it’s cheeper (free) than a movie ticket!
• Donate Money Donations are tax deductible All shelters have overhead costs so money donations are always appreciated.
• Find a Shelter in your area by clicking here