BLeaflet | Issues 1 - 7

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT- Adoption Stories

WHY YOU SHOULD SUPPORT SHELTERS & RESCUES Did you know that 6.5 million animals enter shelters each year but only 3.2 are adopted? On average there are 1.5 million shelter animals euthanized each year. Sadly, 45% of all cats

who enter shelters are eventually euthanized and that number jumps to close to 100% for feral cats. Another astonishing statistic is that homeless animals outnumber homeless people 5 to 1 and only 10% of dogs born will find a permanent home. There are many great reasons for adopting pets from shelters instead of purchasing your pet but the biggest is that you are saving a life. Adopting pets helps with overpopulation which ultimately reduces the chances of future animals ending up in shelters. Only 48% of animal shelters in the US are no kill which means 52% are kill shelters. There are 27 states that have put a full ban on using the gas chamber as a method of euthanasia in animal shelters. Shockingly four states still use gas chambers! These states are Ohio, Wyoming, Missouri, and Utah. This is a cruel and outdated practice. In 2013, 70 gas chambers in 13 US states voluntarily closed their chambers and currently the majority of shelters in America today practice humane euthanasia carried out by injection of approved drugs. Although these statistics are hard to hear, they’re important to know. A common misconception about rescue pets is that they were given up by their owners because of poor behavior but most shelter pets have already been trained. The more common reasons why owners relinquish their pet to the shelter are because they need to move to a new home, a landlord no longer allows pets, too many pets in the household, cost to take care of the animal and owner having personal problems such as health issues. If a pet does have behavioral or health issues shelters take care to document this to make sure that the pet goes to an owner who is equipped to take care of an animal under those unique circumstances. Besides saving a life you are also saving quite a bit of money. Shelters may require a small fee but that money goes right back into the shelter’s mission. The pets that you adopt from a shelter usually come already vaccinated, microchipped and spayed or neutered. Did you know that almost 25% of the dogs that enter local animal shelters are purebred? So, if you are looking for a purebred over a mutt there are many viable options and many breed specific adoption agencies are available. Shelters may also have rabbits, birds, reptiles, or other animals needing homes.

Many of us treat our pets as family members, but not every animal is able to find their forever, loving home and a shelter is the only home they will ever know. If you are thinking about buying a dog from a breeder or pet store (yes, they are still around!), we encourage you to keep these statistics in mind. There are too many animals that need a loving home and you might just find your next best friend by visiting your local shelter or reaching out to a rescue organization.

This message is brought to you by the Sustainability Committee - Giving Back to the Earth.