Put Your Best Paw Forward For National Homeless Animals Day

Promoting awareness and education about homeless animals.

Many pet owners consider their pets to be an important part of their family, and therefore, treat them the same as they would any other family member―spoil them on their birthdays with special treats and toys, take them on fun family vacations to the beach or up north camping, even sharing their darkest and deepest secrets with their furry friends.

However, not all pets receive this kind of loving royal treatment. In fact, most do not. In the United States, there are more animals living on the streets and in homeless shelters than there are living safely in homes. With between 2,000-3,500 cats and dogs born each hour in the United States alone, compared to only 415 humans who are born each hour, it is easy to understand why the number of homeless animals is so unbelievably high.

In order to raise awareness and educate people about the vast amount of homeless animals living in the United States, the International Society for Animal Rights has reserved the third Saturday of August (this upcoming Saturday, August 20th) as National Homeless Animals Day.

In light of this important day, we have decided to share some of the most shocking statistics about homeless animals in the United States and inform you just how you make a difference  for this important cause.

What Happens to Homeless Animals in the United States?

In each city, in every state, there are hundreds of homeless animals that are in search of a good home. Here are just a few statistics about where these animals typically end up:

• In the United States alone, there are an estimated six to eight million homeless animals that enter shelters each year. However, only about half of these animals are adopted.
• Most animals that enter shelters are not “street” animals or offspring of other homeless animals, but puppies and kittens of family pets.
• The reason in which animals end up in animal shelters is evenly divided between animals who are given up by owners and those that are picked up by animal control.
• Five out of ten dogs in shelters and seven out of ten cats in shelters are euthanized simply because no one adopted them.

What Can You Do To Help Homeless Animals?

There are certain factors that cannot be changed about the amount of homeless animals that we have in the United States, such as the fact that both cats and dogs have high reproduction rates which plays a large role in their number of births. However, there are certain steps that you can take as an animal enthusiast to limit the problem:

• Spay/Neuter your pets: One of the most important things you can do as a pet owner to limit the amount of homeless animals is to spay or neuter your own pet. This will ensure that they cannot bring any more animals into the world that need to be taken care of.
• Adopt from a shelter: By choosing a pet from a shelter, you are not only saving an animal from a possibly horrible fate, but you are also reducing the amount of homeless pets in the world.
• Donate or volunteer: If you are not ready to adopt or own a pet, simply donating your time or money to an animal shelter can significantly help with the amount of homeless pets in the United States by providing funding to house and feed local sheltered animals.

While you may take special precautions to ensure that your pet is always safe and happy, it is important that you keep other pets in mind as well. After all, spaying or neutering your pet is a lot cheaper than having to house and feed six more in the future.

Image: Source