Pet Overpopulation
Is the problem of pet overpopulation serious?
Are there other concerns besides just too many pets?
Is it possible for such a huge problem to be solved?
Are there solutions I can pursue in my community?
Can I breed my pet if I find homes for all the offspring?
Won't sterilization make my pet get fat and lazy?
Must I sterilize my pet to be a responsible pet owner?
Are there simple steps I can take to "Be A P.A.L."?
Is the problem of pet overpopulation serious?
It's very serious. In the United States, more than 50,000 puppies and kittens are born each day because of the uncontrolled breeding of pets. Add the offspring of stray and abandoned companion animals to that number, and the total becomes even more staggering. Compare these figures to the 11,000 humans born daily in the United States, and it is obvious that there can never be enough homes for so many animals. In fact, for every contented pet in this country, another 4 companion animals live out their lives hungry, miserable, and at the mercy of humans. As for those dogs and cats who end up in America's shelters, an estimated 4 to 6 million are destroyed each year because they are not wanted by anyone, anywhere.
Are there other concerns besides just too many pets?
Too many companion animals competing for too few good homes is the most obvious consequence of unconrtolled breeding; however, there are other equally tragic problems that result from pet overpopulation. The transformation of some animal shelters into "warehouses" or cheap sources of animals for use in biomedical experimentation, the acceptance of cruelty to animals as a way of life in our society, and the stress that caring shelter workers suffer when they are forced to euthanatize one animal after another are just a few of the consequences of our society's carelessness. Living creatures have become throwaway items to be cuddled when cute and abandoned when they become inconvenient. Such disregard for animal life prevades and erodes our culture.
Abandoned and stray companion animals who survive in the streets and alleys of cities and suburbs pose a health threat to humans and to other animals. Homeless companion animals get into trash containers, defecate in public areas or on private lawn, and anger citizens who have no understanding of their misery or their needs. Some of these animals scare away or prey upon wildlife - such as birds - or frighten small children.
The growing number of dog bites is due in part to uncontrolled breeding of pets. Bites by so-called dangerous dogs have drawn an enormous amount of media attention, and fatalities caused by dangerous dogs are a serious concern. According to Randall Lockwood, Ph.D., The HSUS's vice president for Training Initiatives, there is a much greater incidence of biting in unsterilized animals. "Of the nearly twenty fatalities caused by dog attacks investigated between 1992 and 1994," says Dr. Lockwood, "we have found that none was caused by a spayed or neutered dog."
Also, the vicious tendencies found in some dog breeds often can be attributed to irresponsible breeding without regard for temperament. Halting reproduction will benefit these breeds and protect the human population. Each year communities are forced to spend millions of taxpayer dollars trying to cope with problems that pet overpopulation causes.
Is it possible for such a huge problem to be solved?
But only by implementing widespread sterilization programs, only by spaying and neutering all companion animals, will we be able to get a handle on this problem. Consider the fact that in six short years one female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies. In seven years one cat and her young can produce 420,000 kittens. Given these high reproductive rates, it stands to reason that carefully planned and implemented sterilization programs could produce a dramatic reduction in the number of companion animals who had to be euthanatized decline by 30 to 60 percent - even in those communities whose human populations have been steadily increasing. Successful pet-overpopulation control programs range from low-cost sterilization clinics, to cooperative efforts involving local veterinatians, to mass-media educational campaigns. Only through the nationwide establishment of such programs will we be able to bring an end to the tragedy of pet overpopulation.
Are there solutions I can pursue in my community?
Legislation can have the most direct impact simply by requiring that every pet adopted from a municipal or county shelter be sterilized within a certain period of time.
Similarly, differential-licensing laws - laws that substantially increase license fees for pets who have not been spayed or neutered - give owners an incentive to sterilize their pets.
Education, too, is an essential part of solving this problem. Unless people know the facts about pet over-population and sterilization, they are virtually helpless to do anything about the problem.
Reduced spay/neuter fees play an important role in solving the problem as well. Low-cost spay/neuter clinics in some communities have already helped bring down the cost of sterilization. In areas where veterinarians have agreed to reduce their spay/neuter fees, we've seen a significant decline in the number of animals euthanatized.
Can I breed my pet if I find homes for all the offspring?
Remember that each time you place one of your pet's puppies or kittens in a loving home, you take away a home from another companion animals who is desperate for someone to take him/her in. The sad fact is that there are already more companino animals than homes, and each day animal shelters are forced to destroy thousands of dogs and cats because no one wants them.
If you have a friend who wants to get a puppy or kitten, urge that friend to adopt one from a local animal shelter - where there is always a wonderful selection of mixed breed and purebred dogs and cats who are just waiting for good homes and loving owners. If your friend has his/her heart set on a purebred pet, mention that roughly 1 out of every 4 animals in shelters nationwide is purebred. Every time people adopt an animal from a shelter, they save one more dog or cat from a tragic fate.
Won't sterilization make my pet get fat and lazy?
Your pet will actually benefit from spaying or neutering. Sterilized pets lead healthier, longer lives. Spaying a female eliminates the possibility of uterine and ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the chances of breast cancer. Neutering a male reduces the risk of both prostate enlargement and prostate cancer. Neutering also will make your pet more affectionate and less likely to roam, get in fights, or become lost. Pets become fat and lazy as a result of overeating and lack of exercise, not from spaying or neutering.
Must I sterilize my pet to be a responsible pet owner?
Are there simple steps I can take to "Be A P.A.L."?
