This crisis extends from state to state, coast to coast of the entire United States.
We are talking about animal overpopulation.
Yes, we are in crisis.
As a result of too many animals being bred, we are faced with the overwhelming problems of trying to find homes for them. The sad truth that must be exposed is that there are simply not enough homes for all those being born. The answer to this dilemma due to lack of resources, is euthanasia.
The problem must be understood before it can be addressed. You hear the rescue community ask you to spay and neuter all your pets. This is not because we don’t love puppies, kitties and bunnies, but rather, because we do. We see the sad results of careless and needless breeding everyday as we try to place just a few of those on the euthanasia lists in any given county. We try, day to day to save these precious and innocent lives, but sadly with our best efforts we still are putting 6 million animals to death nationwide every year. In our own Maricopa County, the death toll rings at about 60,000 annually. The problem must be addressed so that these numbers can be reduced and finally eliminated. But we, the rescue community, cannot do this alone. We ask that you do your part.
Please give thought to helping us by taking the following measures: • Please spay and neuter all your pets. Every litter hurts. Every litter adds to the numbers dying each year, and each day. • Please make a commitment to your pets. Make them indispensable. Consider them part of your family. • Please microchip and license your pets. They cannot speak and many are euthanized simply because they could not find their way home. • Please adopt your next pet from a rescue group or shelter. Save a life. You will also learn that the rescue community has all breeds, all ages, and knows the disposition of the animal to be adopted, thus helping the transition to a new home. Many even have kittens and puppies. Find a local rescue group here. • Help us spread the word! Now that you are aware of the crisis we face for the animals of our community, tell a friend. With more people being aware of these statistics, and more people becoming responsible pet owners, we can and we will end the needless killing of mans best friends.
THE DEVASTATING OFFSPRING OF JUST ONE FEMALE CAT AND HER KITTENS
*Did you know...
• In six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs. • In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats. • The number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year is 8-10 million (HSUS estimate). • The number of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters each year is 4-5 million (HSUS estimate). • The number of animal shelters in the United States is between 4 and 6 thousand (HSUS estimate). • The percentage of purebred dogs in shelters is 25% (HSUS estimate).
* Information provided by the Humane Society of the United States
The following article was published by The Arizona Republic Animals filling up county facilities Adoption to save many from death John Faherty The Arizona Republic Sept. 7, 2006 12:00 AM
The Maricopa County Animal Care & Control facilities took in 50,000 cats and dogs in the 12-month period that ended this summer, and 30,000 of them were put down.
And now the situation is growing worse, meaning cats and dogs deemed both healthy and adoptable could be killed because the facilities simply can't care for so many animals.
"It's not acceptable," said Rodrigo Silva, the organization's director. "We made a commitment that we were going to stop the euthanasia of healthy pets. But we are running out of options."
There are many reasons why there are so many animals with animal control right now, but the three main ones are: • Monsoon storms knock down fences, blow open gates and startle animals into running. • Increased population of humans means an increased number of pets. • Continued reluctance to spay or neuter animals.
Also at issue right now is that many kittens and puppies were born in the spring, greatly increasing the number of animals in the Valley.
Some of those pets had lived with families who no longer want them.
Others were brought directly to the shelter by breeders who could not place them.
An average of 150 cats and dogs come in to the county's three intake centers each day, surpassing the county's ability to adopt the animals out or to place them with families.
"The numbers are really staggering," Claire Simeone, community relations director of the Arizona Animal Welfare League. "We wish people would think about those numbers when they are deciding whether or not they should spay or neuter their pets." County Animal Care & Control made a decision last October that it would no longer put down healthy pets. While that commitment is commendable, it may not have the broad meaning it implies.
The industry standard for a "healthy animal" is defined by the Asilomar Accords, which were agreed upon in 2004 at a conference of animal welfare leaders.
The accord defines a healthy animal as one with "no sign of a behavioral or temperamental characteristic that could pose a health or safety risk, . . . and have manifested no sign of disease, injury, a congenital or hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the animal or that is likely to adversely affect the animal's health in the future."
Two sets of animals that are not defined as healthy are kittens and puppies less than 8 weeks old because they still require too much care.
"It is very, very sad that we still put down animals that can be treated," Silva said from his office at the County Animal Care location on South 35th Avenue in Phoenix on Wednesday morning.
Dogs spent the morning barking or howling or staring at workers and visitors. Kittens were kept in bunches, climbing the chain link fence cages and meowing at the people working at the center.
"The most immediate thing people can do is think things through before they surrender their animal," said Sam Kabbel, executive director of the Arizona Animal Welfare League.
"There simply are not enough homes; there may not be a warm and fuzzy ending." There are only two ways to humanely eliminate the overcrowding at county shelters. The first is to reduce the number of animals coming in with spay and neuter programs.
"That is a particularly large problem in Maricopa County," said Stephanie Bikel, executive director of Maddie's Projects, an organization that hopes to eliminate euthanasia of healthy and treatable pets by 2012.
Maddie's Projects is currently studying why Maricopa County routinely falls behind the rest of the county when it comes to spaying and neutering pets.
The other way to help reduce the number of animals at the shelter, and the number that have to be killed, is to increase the rate of adoption.
"These are fabulous animals," Bikel said. "People need to adopt pets instead of going to breeders or pet stores. The first thing we need to do is get these animals out of the shelters and into loving homes."
Silva believes that when a family adopts a cat or a dog from a shelter, they have gained the animal's undying gratitude.
"When you take an animal from a place like this, they know," Silva said. "They have spent a minimum of three days in a cage. They are so happy. You take them home. You love them. You scratch their ears. They know what you did."
