Pet Abandonment

What Shelters are Involved in Pet Abandonment?

Lindsey Stump

Think how rough it would be if you were an animal abandoned on the street. With no food, water and nowhere to go - well, this is what pet abandonment is like. Pet abandonment is when an animal is out on the street alone with no home. In this chapter, you will learn about the two shelters involved in pet abandonment.

No-kill shelters take an animal in for as long as needed or give them to another helpful organization. The article "Animal shelters: another chance at life or death" explains how no-kill shelters are safer for animals and help the animals more than kill shelters. (1) This evidence suggests that kill shelters care about the animals more than no-kill shelters do. The article states, "While animals may come from any condition, if they are healthy, and great with people even if so it happens to be a result of months or years of training they will get another chance to be happy and to know love like they should." (1) This quote highlights how any animal can be a good pet and even if it may take months or years of training they still deserve a good home. Lastly, the article tells us: "Through these types of organization and charities, animals are given a second chance at life, love, and happiness." (1) This further explains how animals at no-kill shelters are provided a second chance at having a happy home.

A map of no-kill shelters in the United States.

Kill shelters are another type of shelter. Kill shelters kill animals no matter their health. Some shelters have them stay for months or weeks; others have them stay for days or hours. These shelters are the most controversial type of shelter. The article "Animal shelters: another chance at life or death" states: "These particular shelters may have excuses seen as we don't have enough, room, we don't have enough money to keep them alive, or they aren't cute enough and nobody will want to adopt them." (1) This shocking fact reveals how these shelters don't keep animals long for their own benefit. This is shown by the shelters euthanizing the pets. Researchers also learned that kill shelters only allow the animals a little amount of time in the shelter before putting them down. (1) This evidence strongly implies that people aren't caring about the animals. According to the article, the shelters could've found a positive way to take care of the pets such as foster homes. (1) This proves they don't try to help the animals so the pets can get better. They take the animals in for a little bit then euthanize the pets for there own benefit.

To conclude animal abandonment is very upsetting. Some people don't know how bad this problem is getting. These pets are refused a home, safety, food, water and warmth. The pets won't survive on a lack of resources. We can change their situation by simply taking care of our pets. I think we can help pets and change for the better.

A pie chart of what happens to animals in kill shelters.

Who is Faye Carey ?

By: Jenna Foster

Have you ever seen a dog on the side of the road? Everyday, pets get abandoned on the street or at a animal shelter. Pet abandonment is growing larger every day. In chapter one you will learn about a teen activist.

Faye Carey is at animal control.

Faye Carey is a 16 year old teen activist who loves animals . In the text teenage girl is dogs best friend , the author states , " it all started when Faye underwent a week of work experience at animal control". This quote highlight that Faye Carey started helping out ;then she started to really like helping out at animal control . Also the author explains , that on the first day Faye Carey picked up a puppy, when she was there on the last day the puppy was still there so Faye advertised him on trade me; and the puppy got a lovely home.

Faye Carey helps re-home dozens of dogs. According to the article, Teenage girl's a dog's best friend '' she set up a Facebook page and has re-homed over 60 dogs (2). This proves that Faye is really liking what she is doing. Also the text states that Faye Carey spends every Friday volunteering at an animal control, grooming the new puppy's to be photographed for there Facebook page. This shows that Faye Carey loves working with the puppy's and is really good at helping out. Faye Carey spends a lot of time helping with the pets. She is organizing for people to see the pets and she sets up adoptions. She also reply's to emails .

As you can tell there are not many people to help with this situation . You don't have to be a teen activist to help. Anyone can volunteer at an animal shelter. You could volunteer at an animal shelter every animal needs a home.

Why is This a Problem?

By: Sera Wyrembelski

All over the world there are pets roaming city streets; one dog gets ran over, a cat gives birth to a litter of many newborn kits. In this chapter you will learn about the issues with pet abandonment such as, pet overpopulation, and affordability, both of these are linked to pet abandonment.

There are many problems with pet abandonment, one is pet overpopulation. Overpopulation is when there are too many of a living being. The text "Pet Overpopulation" states, " The American Humane Association believes that all cats and dogs adopted from public or private animal care or control facilities should be spayed or neutered." (10). This evidence strongly implies that we need to control the animal population. We need to control this because abandoned pets have too many offspring that crowd the streets.

A baby kitten meows for help in a cage.

The last problem with pet abandonment is affordability. In the article "Teens Unite to Work for Animals" It states that when natural disasters occur, both types of animal shelters get overwhelmed by too many pets this results in euthanizing. Euthanizing is the process of slaughtering animals with a kind of gas, people often give up their pets because they are too expensive or because most apartments where people are forced to live, after these ordeals, do not tolerate pets. This shows that even if people want to keep their pets they are forced to give them up for adoption.

Imagine this, a huge earthquake strikes and an entire building falls apart before your eyes.

You are forced to flee your home, you do not have enough money after the disaster to take care of your family and your dog and are forced to give the beloved family pet up.

Even if people have enough money to keep their pets there is still the matter of anti-pet apartments which makes it almost impossible to keep your pet!

In conclusion there are many problems linked to the terrors of pet abandonment, everyone can help to stop it, no matter how big or small, young or old, you can make a difference.

What can we do to solve Pet Abandonment?

By: Michie Bach

Lost. Captured. Brought to the shelter. This is life for multifarious pets that are abandoned. Millions of animals are left on the street, with no home. Soon they'll get caught and transferred to the animal shelter; where they shall live the rest of their life. People have to stop the problem of animal desertion. In this chapter, two solutions are outlined to help fight pet abandonment.

The first solution that will help abandoned pets is informing owners about neutering (removal of male animal organs) and spaying (removal of female animal organs) their pets. In the article, "Pet Overpopulation/ Animal Abandonment, " the text describes this saying, " especially those clients who are well known and likely to permit an unwanted pregnancy to occur prior to surgery," (1). This quote highlights that when owners neuter and spay their pets, they are more likely to keep their animals because they won't have babies. Secondly, Anya Agarwal from the article, " These Teens Made a Difference, " states, " Knowing that one dog can produce 50,000 puppies in 10 years and that by sterilizing that one dog I saved many others [is my biggest reward], " (2). This shocking fact reveals that when owners are neutering and spaying their critters, they are saving thousands of baby pets that might of ended up in animal shelters. According to the article, "Health Benefits of Spay/Neutering," sterilizing also helps with increases for growth expediencies. It will grow your pets life by one to five years (1). This evidence strongly implies that by spaying and neutering your animals they will live longer; as can be expected, people would adopt them more because the pets intend on living longer.

Another solution would be adopting animals. For instance, Faye Carey from the article, " Teenage Girl is Dogs' Best Friend," managed to re-home more than 60 dogs by advertising them on her Facebook page (2). This evidence suggests that if people adopt animals from the shelter, we can change their life; it will help solve the problem of pet abandonment. Second of all, according to the article, "Animal shelters: another chance at life or death, " the author states, " Not only do the animals benefit, but those who adopt them do as well. They receive some of the best animals and friends from places such as these (and I know from experience)," (1). This further explains that when humans adopt pets, it changes the animals' life. But it also benefits us and makes people happier. To add on, Faye Carey represented this saying," The pound receives as many as 20 new dogs each week, most of which need re-homing,"(2). This quote reveals that by adopting pets, people are saving 80 animals a month; as a result, over 960 a year. By giving pets a home, humans are saving many lifes.

A dog in need of adoption

Thus, it can be concluded that there are numerous methods to end the tragic terrors of pet abandonment. Next time you go to an animal shelter, adopt a critter. If you already have a pet, sterilize it so it doesn't have babies. Help stop pet abandonment, one solution at a time.