In today’s Reading Eagle ran an article about the overcrowding of animals in local shelters. Is this a new phenomenon? NO! But the dire situation isn’t changing for the better as stated by the Animal Rescue League and the Humane Society. Simply put, the situation has only gotten worse.
Sadly, this is not only a local problem but a nationwide crisis. Too many animals enter shelters- nearly 6-8 million- according to the Humane Society of the United States and half of those entering NEVER leave.
I have seen this up close and personal. I’ve never administered the barbituate that ultimately ends a pet’s life prematurely but I have held many, many animals and have also witnessed countless number of euthanasia’s in a shelter. Lives are snuffed out for various reasons including needing more kennel space for a new “batch” of dogs or cats that were dumped at the shelter. Millions of animals’ lives are doomed because no one wanted them. They are forced to live out the last days of their lives in a kennel/cage.
In Berks County, animals are humanely euthanized but in western PA, gas chambers are still used to kill shelter animals. Imagine stuffing dogs and cats into a dark chamber while slowly being suffocated to death. Gas chambers are used in other states as well. These animals not only had to pay the ultimate price because they were no longer wanted but they were forced to suffer a horrific death.
Shelter workers are forced into the position of ending a once-beloved pet repeatedly on a daily basis. Do you have any idea the psychological impact this creates in a worker’s psyche? I suggest you watch the following video to hear about the those consequences. (It is not graphic.)
Shelters are blamed for killing pets. The person(s) responsible for animals losing their lives is YOU, the one who said your pet didn’t match your sofa, the one who said the dog was too big even though you adopted the big dog or were told the puppy would mature into a large dog, the one who no longer has time for his/her pet, the one who decided “I’ve had him for 13 yrs, I don’t want him any longer”!
Yes, I know the economy is a factor that cannot be ignored in this equation. But, when you adopt you MUST take into account the cost of having a pet for a lifetime. We, as a nation, spend billions of dollars on our pets but we don’t have enough money to feed them or take them to the veterinarian. If you can’t afford this cost, then be wise and don’t adopt.
How do we end this vicious and I mean vicious cycle of animals entering shelters and dying never knowing the love of another family?
First, don’t buy from a pet store. Pet stores sell puppies from puppy mills regardless of what the manager/sales clerk may tell you. When you are in a pet store, think about the horrid lives their moms and dads are forced to live. They live in filthy cages and don’t know what is to having a loving hand touch them. They are kept in deplorable conditions for the sole purpose to procreate so pet stores can sell puppies to YOU!
Second, spay and neuter your pet. This is mandatory when you adopt in the state of PA but so many buy pets from stores or from backyard breeders. No Nonsense Neutering offers low-cost spaying and neutering services right here in Reading. Spaying and neutering provides many medical benefits for pets and lets us fight against pet overpopulation. Once again, it is up to YOU!
Third, if you can make the lifetime commitment, adopt from a shelter or rescue. Over a 1/3 of shelter pets are purebred but you also have a huge selection of animals from which to choose. There are too many animals waiting for someone like you to give them a second chance at a forever home. It isn’t their fault that they find themselves behind bars!
I can tell you what a joy it is to adopt animals from shelters. I wouldn’t have it any other way. All of mine have brought me nothing but joy.
Berks County is inundated with too many homeless animals and not enough homes. The shelters, particularly the Animal Rescue League, is forced to kill animals on a continuous basis to make room for more animals that were no longer wanted.
This epidemic rests on YOUR shoulders! Don’t blame the shelter for doing YOUR dirty work. Be responsible and make a lifetime commitment, spay and neuter your pet and ALWAYS ADOPT!
Who is responsible for the shelters being full? YOU! Change it!