Homeless Animals Introduction Homeless animals is a big problem in the community today, though we might not notice it. There are about 70 million stray animals living in the U.S. Of this 70 million, only about six to eight million cats and dogs enter the nation's 3,500 shelters every year (Humane Society of the United States). That means there are many, many animals out there that need a home. Animals become homeless because owners leave them on the side of the road or there isn’t enough room at the shelter so they get euthanized. Other animals are born without a home due to other homeless animals. We need to find a safe place for these animals to live for the remainder of their lives. We are interested in helping homeless animals because we all have animals of our own. We care about them so very much. It is our hope that other animals will be loved by an owner, just as much as we love our pets. We hate it when our pets are sick or hurt and we would like to help other animals that are possibly suffering. Loving an animal can have a huge impact on both lives. From a sick stray on the side of the road, to a strong, happy, and healthy member of a family. You should care about this issue because it affects your safety and it should make you feel rather sad that there are so many animals out there without a home. Homeless animals could get hit by a car on a highway. They are also being killed for no good reason other than no one wants them. Loving animals in need has the capacity to change the lives of both animals and people. Giving animals a safe home will improve their lives by making them happier and healthier. Overall, you should care about helping homeless animals because it’s the right thing to do. Issue Homeless animals in the U.S.A. outnumber homeless people 5 to 1. The issue of homeless animals in Wake County is a big problem for our community. It is expensive for the shelters to take in homeless animals and it costs a lot of money for taxpayers. Last year in Wake County, 5,246 dogs were taken to shelters. Out of that number, 3,157 were adopted, 1,164 were returned to their owners and 899 were euthanized. The cost is $282.45 per animal handled at the shelter. That is a lot of money spent on animals. This has been going on for a very long time. The animals that don’t get adopted are euthanized. There were 899 dogs, 1,251 cats, 3 rabbits, and 141 wildlife euthanized last year in Wake County. Euthanizing animals taxpayers a lot of money. Not only does euthanizing animals cost money but it is also cruel to put down animals that are not suffering and are merely homeless. The cause of the high number of homeless animals can be linked to over-breeding. Another cause is that owners don’t always spay or neuter their animals. Sometimes it’s because they don’t have the money to take proper care for their. Some owners don’t realize the commitment and responsibility of taking care of an animal. Responsibilities include, paying for food, shelter, shots and neutering. A lot of people think that the Humane Society can care for all unwanted pets but it is hard to provide space for all of the homeless animals. Solution The issue of homeless animals is a large one. It is estimated that 17 million homeless animals are killed in shelters each year (Best Friends Animal Society). There are many organizations in our community that have recognized this issue and are dedicated to making a difference. Organizations such as, C.A.R.E. For Animals, Second Chance Pet Adoptions, Best Friend Animal Society, and other various humane organizations have dedicated themselves to this issue. “Today, more than 4,100 dogs and cats are killed in animal shelters across the country, just because they don't have safe places to call home. But Best Friends is working with you to reduce that number to zero by the year 2025, (Best Friends Animal Society).” Organization like these are doing their best to lower the statistics of homeless animal deaths. Such missions of these organizations are to rehabilitate animals that were abused and abandoned, as well as find a permanent home that will love these animals forever. There is still so much we can and need to do to improve our community. Many animals are still without a caring and permanent home. We all can play our part by donating money and food to no-kill shelters and give animals the love they deserve. Neutering and spaying animals will also help prevent more homeless animals being born into a harsh and unforgiving environment. Some organizations such as, Best Friends Animal Society, are working to pass laws that legally require shelters to report their numbers. The hope is that this law will spread to all parts of the country. (Best Friends Animal Society). If will all participates in caring for these companions, be it by adopting or donating to shelters, we can improve the lives of animals and people alike. Action Plan One thing I can do personally is to volunteer, donate money or food to shelters. I could volunteer at shelters or organizations that need help taking care of any animals, cleaning, and anything else that I could assist with. I could also ask around for people to donate to a no-kill shelter or organization or perhaps even ask a person to foster an animal. Others can also participate in this to help animals that are in need. To lessen the suffering of animals, we can volunteer at an organization called Wags N Paws Animal Rescue NC. We can also collect money/food to donate to organization who will help those in need. Requirements
Some things you would need to know is that helping out with any shelter or organization would benefit many animals that are in need. Too many animals are abandoned and abused. With the cooperation of all those who care and are willing to help we can better the lives of helpless. One of our goals is to contribute to improving the lives of those animals. Not even foster animals have a permanent home. While they may have someone who protects them they are still without a safe and everlasting home. Time Table Works Cited Pepelko, Kristina. “12 Alarming Facts About Pet Homelessness.” One Green Planet. 20 Feb. 2014. 16 Jan. 2018 <http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/12-alarming-facts-about-pet-homelessness/> Cardiff, Emily. “10 Ways to Help End Pet Homelessness.” One Green Planet. 25 Feb. 2014. 16 Jan. 2018 <http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/10-ways-to-help-end-pet-homelessness/> “11 Facts About Animal Homelessness.” DO SOMETHING. 17 Jan. 2018 <https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-animal-homelessness/> C.A.R.E. for Animals. 17 Jan. 2018 <http://www.careforanimals-nc.org/> “Volunteer.” Second Chance Pet Adoptions. 17 Jan. 2018 <https://www.secondchancenc.org/volunteer/> “Shelter Intake and Surrender.” ASPCA. 16 Jan. 2018 <https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics> “Transparency in America’s Animal Shelters.” Best Friends. 18 Jan. 2018 <https://bestfriends.org/transparency-americas-shelters>
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