I have worked with and around animals for much of my life. I have learned how to care for them: train them, condition them behaviorally, general health awareness. As I became a trainer, I was reminded frequently that for all the issues I helped find solutions for the owners, I was helping save that dog from going to the pound.
When I worked for a large company, I donated a few dollars from each paycheck to "save a homeless pet". I was made aware that as a corporation it had saved "1 Million Lives and Counting!" through donations. I saw the adoption groups that came into the stores on weekends with dozens of puppies, kittens, dogs and cats desperately searching for homes. If I had completed my other duties, I would help the groups by holding a leash, or talking to shoppers about the joys of rescuing a dog, and how I loved my rescued dog.
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| Photos by PawsThenPlay courtesy of Gaston Animal Control |
When I worked for a small company, I was too bogged down helping start the business to give much thought to rescue at all. I was the only employee in the company. Our main focus HAD to be finding paying clients to start the new company. One time the company decided to help a rescue by boarding and training a dog for a month at a slightly reduced rate. The owner decided it was too much hassle when the potential adopters backed out suddenly at the completion of the training period.
If I thought about it much at all, I figured I was "doing my part" to help stray and surrendered animals in my area by helping problem-solve for dogs to KEEP their places with the families they had.
What a minuscule piece I was contributing. The problem is so much larger.
A study done in 1993 showed that about 70% of people in the area surveyed were unaware of the pet overpopulation in their local area.
Do you know about the pet population in your city? In Charlotte, North Carolina, one estimate is 162,482.341 pets.
Last year in Mecklenburg County, NC 17,880 animals were listed as "Incoming" to the Animal Care and Control facility. Over 60% of those animals had to be euthanized.
It is estimated that $2 billion of taxpayer monies are used yearly to try to contain the serious animal overpopulation in the United States.
In the US, for every human infant born, there are approximately 7 puppies or kittens being born, and each day, approximately 10,000 humans are born.
There are local low cost and FREE spay and neuter clinics in Charlotte, and Gaston County (and many other places, but I looked up with ones were closest to me just to verify they existed). There are also clinics for vaccinations.
These are just a few of the numbers I pulled. The links are listed below. The reason rescue organizations can only save a few is because there are simply TOO MANY. Until more people realize the gravity of the situation, and take decisive measures to control animal populations, there will continue to be millions of animals killed each year in shelters. Please, spay and neuter your pets.
Sources:
Public Data from the US Census Bureau
Formula to calculate pet population from the American Veterinary Medical Association
Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control
Humane Society of the United States
Thebillfoundation
Humane Society Animal League for Life of Madison County
*As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions. click here for my e-mail address.
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