Pet overpopulation is a major issue that has been causing distress in animal shelters across the United States. With millions of homeless pets in need of care, not enough people are adopting from shelters to help reduce overcrowding. Sarah Javier, the executive director of APA, recently issued a call to action with recommendations on what to do with stray dogs or if someone is considering giving up a pet. Lifestyle changes, such as the death of a loved one or increased travel for work, can lead to the difficult decision of giving up a pet.
Before taking it to a shelter or animal control center, attempting to relocate the pet yourself can have a significant impact. Foster care is another key way that locals can ease the burden of shelters. Gateway Pet Guardians provides accommodation primarily through foster homes, with about 200 animals housed at maximum capacity on site. Adoptive caregivers don't need previous experience with pets, and they have everything they need to care for the pet, thanks to a partnership with Purina.
Additional services make reception more feasible for some. Shelters benefit from community help through donations and volunteer work, and they also benefit when people try to reunite lost animals with their owners and only return the animals to shelters as a last resort. Euthanasia is often seen as the most compassionate solution to animal overpopulation, according to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). HSMO routinely receives animals from many overpopulated animal shelters and rescue organizations in Missouri and other areas of the United States.
Overcrowded animal shelters not only increase the suffering of innocent animals, but they also represent a heavy economic burden for taxpayers. Animal protection organizations such as the United States Humane Association and the Humane Society of the United States support sterilization or castration of animals rather than euthanasia as a solution to overpopulation. Remind people worried about having to leave a dog at home while they work that shelter animals usually reside in kennels for up to 23 hours a day. The problem of pet overpopulation is one that requires immediate attention. To help reduce overcrowding in animal shelters, people should consider fostering or adopting pets instead of buying them from breeders or pet stores.
Additionally, people should make sure that their pets are spayed or neutered and should take steps to reunite lost animals with their owners before taking them to shelters. Finally, people should consider donating money or volunteering at local animal shelters in order to help reduce overcrowding.
