The Dog Crisis in North America
Bob Barker ended every episode of The Price is Right with his famous catch-phrase, “Help control the pet population. Spay or neuter your pet”. He had very good reason to repeat this mantra over and over. The overpopulation of dogs and cats has reached epidemic proportions resulting in the death of millions of animals every year. And while poor, innocent animals are dying in shelters every day, there are thousands being born every day to replace them. There are simply not enough good homes for all these animals being produced. The end result is that the vast majority of puppies being born today will be euthanized within a short period of time. The reason for their death sentence? They did not have a home and someone to care for them. It is a shameful waste of life.
It is estimated that U.S. taxpayers spend over $2 billion each year to collect, maintain, house and euthanize unwanted pets (U.S.A Today).
Approximately 6 to 8 million dogs and cats are sent to shelters every year. The vast majority of these shelters do not keep the animals until they are adopted out. As the demand for space is constant, many animals have less than two weeks to find a new home. Most of them don’t. After that time, they are killed to make space for the new batch of animals coming in.
Over 56% of dogs and puppies entering shelters are killed, based on reports from over 1,055 facilities across America. (National Counsel on Pet Population Study)
Seven dogs and cats are born every day for each person born in the U.S. Of those, only 1 in 5 puppies and kittens stay in their original home for their natural lifetime. The remaining 4 are abandoned to the streets or end up at a shelter (The Humane Society of the United States)
There are many reasons why our society has ended up in a catch-22 of allowing millions of animals to be born while killing millions each year. Greed is a primary factor with hundreds of puppy mills churning out far more dogs than the human population can possibly look after. As long as people continue to buy puppies at pet stores or from other sources that supply puppy mill puppies, this vicious cycle will continue. Add to that, the number of independent individuals who figure they can make some extra money on the side by breeding their own pets. More often than not, these backyard breeders are unable to find suitable homes for all the puppies in their litters and end up abandoning them at shelters or worse, dumping them in the streets, left to fend for themselves. Both puppy mills and backyard breeders produce puppies that have health problems and temperament issues, resulting in animals that are not suitable as household pets. Since profit is the motivating factor, they will not spend money on things such as genetic testing, health clearances and proper care of the dam. Many people adopting these pets will ultimately give them up because of high vet bills to treat underlying problems and behavioural issues that they are unable to deal with.
Another source adding to the problem is people jumping blindly into puppy ownership without researching what is involved in caring for a dog. Also, choosing a puppy based on appearance rather than its breed’s characteristics, temperament and requirements, resulting in a dog that in unsuitable for their particular lifestyle or living situation. It ends up that the dog requires more time and care than the owners have or they don’t have the time to work with the dog to train it properly. Ultimately, the dog is given up and added to the unwanted pet population.
Educating people on the crisis situation will help bring this epidemic to an end. Learning as much as possible about dog ownership and the particular breed of puppy or dog you are thinking of adopting will ensure that you receive a dog that is suitable for you. Not buying your pup from a pet store will lower the demand for pups and therefore, help to curb the number of puppies that are produced at puppy mills. Spaying or neutering your pet to protect against unwanted litters will help control the population.
If everyone were to take these small steps to help control the pet overpopulation, we could bring the horrible practice of the destruction of millions of innocent animals to an end. Please help us to put an end to the suffering and the senseless birth of animals who will be unwanted and eventually sentenced to die, by spreading the word about the situation.
What You Can Do
Educate yourself about puppy ownership before you adopt your dog. If you know what to expect, there will be less of a likelihood that you will become frustrated with your dog’s behaviour and ultimately give the dog up.
Research the breed you are interested in and familiarize yourself with the dog’s characteristics and requirements. Ensure that the dog will fit into your lifestyle. The needs of a Labrador Retriever are very different from a Jack Russell Terrier.
Commit to training your dog and attending obedience classes. A well-trained dog is a joy to have and untrained one is a nightmare.
Whenever possible, save a life by getting your dog from a shelter, the Humane Society or local dog rescue.
Never, ever buy your dog from a pet store. Doing so only encourages unscrupulous puppy mill owners to continue their horrible practices.
Spay or neuter your pet. Dogs do not have to reproduce in order to feel accomplished or fulfilled like humans do. They will not miss their reproductive organs and on the contrary, you will have a better behaved, healthier pet.
Unless you have the training and knowledge, have found yourself a mentor and have worked with a breed for many years, do not breed your dog. Simply putting two dogs together does not produce quality puppies, no matter how beautiful or sweet your dog may be. You will more than likely end up not being able to place some of your pups and they will ultimately end up at a shelter.
Spread the word about the overpopulation problem. Educate friends, family and co-workers who may be thinking about getting a dog (refer them to our website!)
