America-Land of the Free and Home of the Disposible Pet?

America. The Land of the Free, and the Home of the Disposable Pet?
Every day in the United States thousands of helpless animals that were once considered to be pets, are abandoned, abused, tortured, and even killed by their owners.
Barring the ones that are not killed, many of these pets will wind up in rescue shelters where most of them will spend the rest of their lives, and that is assuming they are fortunate enough to wind up in a "no kill shelter" .
Many throw away pets are not as lucky and wind up in "kill shelters" where they are given just 3 days to live.
This is not to say that every single animal who winds up in a shelter was unwanted. There are many cases where the pet truly was loved, but was surrendered by their owner because the owner, for whatever reason could no longer care for their beloved pet.

The Plight of the Shelter Pet.
Each year in the United States, rescue shelters and animal control agents take in an estimated 10 million dogs, and 15 million cats per year. The numbers are staggering and somewhat disturbing. More than 90% of these animals will wind up being euthanized. Even more disturbing, is that 95% of these animals are former pets.
Indeed, pets are considered by many to be disposable.
So why are shelters so full of unwanted pets? There are several reasons, but some of the more common reasons are:
*The pet has become ill, and the owner cannot afford to pay the vet bills.
* The pet has some of associated "behavior" that is undesirable. The most common of these includes: not being potty trained "fast enough", biting/chewing, over excitement, clawing/scratching or otherwise destroying the owners personal property.
*The pet got "to big." What happened to that cute little puppy? He was so tiny and so adorable, and within 6 months, he was as a big as their 6 year old. A lot of people fail to do research on the type of dog they are buying, or they buy it on an impulse and do not realize just exactly what they bought.
*The owner got a new pet that was "cuter". This is a very common. Their puppy or kitten grew up, and was no long cute and little, and lost its appeal.
*Pet was seized by animal control due to abuse or neglect. The ASPCA estimates that at least 2000 animals per day are beaten, abused, tortured, neglected, or killed in The U.S. alone.
*The pet is a stray that wandered away (or maybe ran away?) from home.

Lending a Helping Paw.
Many shelters are run by volunteer only, and the people running them do this on their own time, and pay for all of the expenses the animal incurs out of their own pockets. They work tirelessly to rehabilitate and find good homes for these animals.
Many people are reluctant to adopt animals from a rescue shelter because of the common misconception that there "must be something wrong" with an animal that has been sent to a shelter. This is usually not the case at all. Aside from city ran shelters that euthanize, most animals that are in no kill shelters are fortunate enough to have a caring volunteer staff that spends time with them and thoroughly assess their behaviors before placing them for adoption. Some animals are taken into foster homes for awhile to help them heal their mental or physical wounds in abuse cases.
Likewise, animals that have been taken in private rescues are worked with daily and actually live in a home setting.
Another reason people are reluctant to adopt from shelters is because of the stereotype that only mutts and mixed breeds are available.
Again, this is another misconception. It is estimated by the Humane Society that 25% of all animals taken in to shelters are actually purebreds.

Putting an end to over population
So what is the solution for the overcrowding of America's rescue shelters?
It really is simple: Have your pet spayed or neutered.
Not only will you be reducing the chances of more and more unwanted animals winding up dying in shelters, but you will also be increasing the life span of your pet.
When animals breed, they become subject to many injuries and illnesses, plus can actually make for a more docile pet.
There are many low cost spay and neuter programs available, and many vets are now opting to open "mobile" spay and neuter clinics so they can come right to your door and spay/neuter your pet.
Please help America's shelter pets by being a responsible pet owner.
Think before you buy!