Animal Shelters in Crisis

An animal shelter is not a good place for a cat or dog to find itself. Many animals that enter shelters do not come back, and the small numbers of no-kill shelters are struggling to keep up with an exploding stray population and a lack of funding and volunteers. Animal shelters across the country face a major crisis in finding humane and helpful ways to reduce the stray population and find loving homes for animals.

  1. No-Kill Shelters

    • According the United States Humane Society, about four million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters each year. While some of these animals may have been recovered in bad health or with severe behavioral disorders, the large majority are pets that simply could not find homes. No-kill shelters have a strict policy in which they refuse to euthanize animals that come into their shelters. This creates a significant strain on financial and equipment resources.

    Overpopulation

    • The primary problem that needs to be addressed in terms of lessening the burden on animal shelters is pet overpopulation. Stray dogs and cats run rampant in many U.S. cities because they are overpopulated and over bred. Backyard breeders then cannot find homes for their animals and are more likely to dump them in a city as they are to bring them to a shelter. One of the simplest solutions for fixing the pet overpopulation problem is spaying or neutering your pet to prevent accidental puppies or kittens.

    Causes for Abandonment

    • Most of the animals found in an animal shelter are there because of simple behavioral problems. This is especially true of dogs, which are harder to train than cats and cause more damage to property and people if not taught correctly. These problems are not usually irreversible--or even major--and can be as simple as the dog not potty training quickly enough, or accidentally knocking over a child. In many cases, a simple puppy training class could have kept the dog out of a shelter.

    Ways to Help

    • You can help animal shelters in specific ways. Donate money to assist with their funding, or donate your time by volunteering at a nearby facility. Some people work as foster parents to animals while they find a new home, while others rally community awareness and organize large adoption events at schools or pet stores. If you want to help, contact your local humane society or other rescue organization and ask what you can do to assist.