Pet Overpopulation - Are you Doing Your Part?

Most American households today have at least one pet, some have multiple. Humans have pets for various reasons. The most important reason is most likely companionship. Pets don’t require much. Usually food, water, and love are the three major requirements. Many disabled people have dogs that help them with everyday activities. These dogs give unselfishly and help these people to live independent lives. They protect the blind when moving about by becoming their eyes. They become the paraplegic’s legs or arms. For others, dogs become household security, protecting us against intruders and warding off danger. Pet cats keep down the rodent population, keeping them from spreading disease and parasites. Cats were originally brought to the Americas by ships from Europe. Sea Captains kept them on board to keep down rats while they journeyed to the New World.
Unfortunately many people don’t see pets as part of the family structure. They view them more as a commodity and easily disposable. This is a great shame because what a pet adds to a person’s life is immeasurable in terms of money. They provide friendship, companionship, unconditional love, and so much more. Owning a pet has even been shown to lower blood pressure. Pets are there when others aren’t. They listen to you talk on endlessly, only interrupting for a small pat on the head or a rub on the chin. They never tire of your affection and will gladly sit beside you or on your lap for hours, happy to just be “near you.” It is as though they worship the ground you walk on. And it isn’t just food or shelter that keeps them with you. I have known people who never fed them, never sheltered them, and they still stayed – if only for love, a few seconds out of the day.
The most unusual thing about pets is that no matter how you treat them, their spirit is unbreakable and so is their promise to love you. Many people mistreat their pets or animals in general. People chain their dogs in the yard, seldom, play with them, maybe feed them when they remember, kick at them when they are angry, etc… Crazy thing is that if they were to turn them loose most times they would run straight to their owner, lick them, jump with excitement to see them, and LOVE them. They forgive instantly. Even though they are “just property” to you, to them YOU are their best friend, the love of their life, their world! No human friend would show such loyalty!
Studies have shown that people who abuse and neglect animals most times also could just as easily abuse children, the elderly, spouses, etc... I have actually met people who thought it was okay to shoot their dog because he did not stay home, others who tied there dog to a tree and ran over it with the car on purpose (a coon hunter who was angry because the dog didn’t hunt the way he thought it should.) I recall another man who had his children (ages 6 and 2) drown kittens in their swimming pool. He also had one small dog that he refused to get spayed. She would have pups every so many months. Most times he would shoot the pups after letting his kids play with them for a few weeks. All that unnecessary pain and misery caused because people are too selfish to do the responsible thing.
With the increasing numbers of homeless pets it is evident that there is a nationwide (if not worldwide) problem facing us. When humans look upon cats and dogs as simply “commodities and disposable” they also become reckless in their treatment of these creatures. The mentality is “I can always go out and get another if this one dies.” What message is being sent with this type of thinking?
If each household that has pets would get their dogs and cats spayed and neutered things would improve tremendously. There are so many pets all ready that are homeless, in yet people continue to think it is “cute” to let their pets breed without thinking of the consequences or the unnecessary suffering that it causes. Each second, somewhere a pet is being euthanized or a pet dies for whatever reason (usually starvation, disease, tortured by humans). Each second, something could change for the better, if only everyone would agree to help do their part. Trying to solve the problem of pet homelessness and overpopulation should not fall upon the shoulders of the few “old cat ladies” or the rescue groups. A few should not have to bear the financial burden of a problem that has been propagated by the whole. Euthanizing is not the answer either. If it were then we should start euthanizing babies to solve world hunger and we know that is not an option. Killing a species does not solve the violence issues. The fact that someone could pour gasoline on a dog or cat and set it ablaze should raise a more important question than “did he get fined?” We can not teach worth by devaluing something by saying” you can always get a new puppy or kitten.”

Let me know your thoughts on this subject.