Uncle Fester
May 28th, 2005, 02:01
Sadly, millions of companion animals are euthanized in America every year and many of them are healthy, adoptable pets whose time in an animal shelter simply ran out.
What is worse, many of these animals are kittens and puppies. They are killed because there aren't enough adoptive famalies to go around and/or the shelter simply doesn't have the staff to tend to them.
Think about this:
According to estimates from the Humane Society of the United States, America spends over one BILLION dollars dealing with the animal overpopulation crisis.
If everyone were required to take in an equal number of pets to eliminate the animal overpopulation problem, each man, woman and child would have to take in no less than SEVEN dogs or cats.
So we have all of these homeless pets, waiting in animal shelters for new homes, many are victims of this "disposable" society in which we live, meanwhile animal breeders are turning out puppies and kittens for sale, robbing the animals in shelters on what can only be described as "death row", of a home.
Is this madness or what?
When you compare the numbers, you simply won't get a better value for your dollar than you will when you adopt an animal at a local shelter.
Breeders can charge upwards of $500 for an animal and for the same money, you can adopt a dog or cat, get all their required shots, get them spayed or neutered, microchipped, buy them food, water dishes, bedding and most of the other supplies you'll need and still have money leftover.
Oh sure, breeders will tell you that they breed animals for the "betterment of the breed" or to "promote the bloodline", but isn't it odd that these high-minded and altruistic notions all have a pricetag attached to them and they don't want YOU to breed the animal that you buy from them?
Why do many breeders have it stipulated in their contract that you must have the animal altered or they won't give you the animals paperwork or you must pay them hundreds of dollars more if you intend to breed the animal yourself?
Make no mistake, those breeding pets are doing so for money and really don't care about the animals in an animal shelter at all.
Then consider this:
Many animal breeders don't report the money they earn on these animals, they don't pay taxes and as a result, are not taking responsibility for the very problem that they're making worse by breeding more animals that there are homes for.
I have 5 cats and each of them were rescued from local shelters. Sure, they're not "purebreds" but they provide as much love and companionship as any animal ever could.
It's also a fact that had no one come forward to claim these animals, they would have died in those shelters.
So you have a choice, you can help contribute to the animal overpopulation crisis by buying a pet from a breeder, or you can go to your local shelter and save an animals life-literally.
If you are looking for a specific breed of animal, there are breed-specific rescues and if you adopt from them, you open another spot so they can save another animals life.
The choice is yours.
Fester
What is worse, many of these animals are kittens and puppies. They are killed because there aren't enough adoptive famalies to go around and/or the shelter simply doesn't have the staff to tend to them.
Think about this:
According to estimates from the Humane Society of the United States, America spends over one BILLION dollars dealing with the animal overpopulation crisis.
If everyone were required to take in an equal number of pets to eliminate the animal overpopulation problem, each man, woman and child would have to take in no less than SEVEN dogs or cats.
So we have all of these homeless pets, waiting in animal shelters for new homes, many are victims of this "disposable" society in which we live, meanwhile animal breeders are turning out puppies and kittens for sale, robbing the animals in shelters on what can only be described as "death row", of a home.
Is this madness or what?
When you compare the numbers, you simply won't get a better value for your dollar than you will when you adopt an animal at a local shelter.
Breeders can charge upwards of $500 for an animal and for the same money, you can adopt a dog or cat, get all their required shots, get them spayed or neutered, microchipped, buy them food, water dishes, bedding and most of the other supplies you'll need and still have money leftover.
Oh sure, breeders will tell you that they breed animals for the "betterment of the breed" or to "promote the bloodline", but isn't it odd that these high-minded and altruistic notions all have a pricetag attached to them and they don't want YOU to breed the animal that you buy from them?
Why do many breeders have it stipulated in their contract that you must have the animal altered or they won't give you the animals paperwork or you must pay them hundreds of dollars more if you intend to breed the animal yourself?
Make no mistake, those breeding pets are doing so for money and really don't care about the animals in an animal shelter at all.
Then consider this:
Many animal breeders don't report the money they earn on these animals, they don't pay taxes and as a result, are not taking responsibility for the very problem that they're making worse by breeding more animals that there are homes for.
I have 5 cats and each of them were rescued from local shelters. Sure, they're not "purebreds" but they provide as much love and companionship as any animal ever could.
It's also a fact that had no one come forward to claim these animals, they would have died in those shelters.
So you have a choice, you can help contribute to the animal overpopulation crisis by buying a pet from a breeder, or you can go to your local shelter and save an animals life-literally.
If you are looking for a specific breed of animal, there are breed-specific rescues and if you adopt from them, you open another spot so they can save another animals life.
The choice is yours.
Fester