Anyone, who visits an animal shelter, as I do, sees an extraordinary number of beautiful,
affectionate, and desperate dogs and cats. The majority of animals in any particular shelter
are dogs, usually adults, for whom there aren't enough adoptive homes waiting. A few may
have come from responsible breeders, whose owners do not realize that the breeder
will take them back,many are those who are lost, and/or from owners who simply got tired of
them. Some are pet shop puppies from a puppy mill that did not meet the owner's
expectations due to health, temperament, or other reasons. A large number usually turn out
to be the result of deliberate and irresponsible home breeding. These people are known as "back-yard …show more content…
Unfortunately, breeders, pet stores, and many ordinary individuals do not realize that their choice
not to spay or neuter their animal is causing millions of animals to be euthanized
every year in the United States.Shermerhorn notes that only one in six shelter animals will
find a new home (4).
Any consciencious person knows that you do not have to look far to find advertisements for free
puppies or kittens,especially in the lower socio-economic areas. Many people decide to
have dogs so that they can breed them in order to make a few dollars, fight them, or show
their children the "miracle" of birth. It is frightening to imagine that the millions of unwanted
animals roaming the streets and occupying shelters are the result of human
ignorance, selfishness, and irresponsibility. What is more devastating is that the children of
such individuals will continue the same vicious cycle.
Pet rescue organizations continue to do a lot in helping to place existing unwanted, abandoned,
and mistreated animals into good homes, however not much is being done to
prevent pet overpopulation.
