Over 70 million dogs and cats are dying or are homeless due to not having owners. The effects of pets not being homed results in these animals being released into nature and its surrounding area, and some of those animals being inside pets meaning they aren’t prepared for an unknown environment. They do not know how to hunt and find good shelter and fend for themselves. Dogs and cats are getting run over by cars on busy streets, not to mention dying in harsh conditions brought on by the wintertime, as the animals are freezing.
About 7.6 million animals are sent to pet shelters, 3.9 million of which are dogs and 3.4 million are cats. Many that are in pet shelters are even put down due to the lack of space. Imagine that as a child and not an animal. People never consider it when it’s animals, but if it were a human they would do anything they can to help. The same should be done for animals.
Animals can become homeless in a variety of ways. Owners who don’t want their pets anymore sometimes leave them at the residence they once lived in, not to mention leaving them on highways or just out on the street. New pet owners may not have prepared themselves for the animals that they are bringing into their homes, so therefore they neglect the pets and their responsibilities. Some owners leave their pets out in harsh conditions or hurt the animal due to their unhappiness with the pet. They might even abuse the pet because the animal didn’t do what the owners said right away. According to Shelter Animal Count research, 10 million animals die from abuse and cruelty annually in the U.S alone.
This sometimes leads to pets being aggressive and hurting others because they have become “wild animals,” but they are protecting themselves because they are afraid or angry. Sometimes when people drop off the pet they mistreated and hurt, most pet stores and pet shelters can’t do much to help with the pain and trauma inflicted upon the pet. Then when a family takes a pet, the pet hurts that new family because it has been mistreated a lot and can’t be trusted anymore. So then they either throw the pet on the streets or send them back to the overcrowded shelters.
Another issue related to animals living on the streets is that the population can grow at a fast rate. Owners throw them on the streets, and when that dog meets another dog during mating season they make more and more babies because they were never spayed or neutered. Sometimes those babies die or make even more babies. Sometimes animal patrol is called and the mom is taken, and they don't realize that there might be babies around too.
People should consider those animals' feelings too. People always want to get a certain dog and make other breeds but don’t focus on the ones already alive and needing homes. They’d spend too much money on a dog that shouldn’t be bred instead of animals ready for homes. As a society people should do better and think twice. Everyone deserves a home. Those who want a pet should look at the ones wanting a house and are willing to be loved. Otherwise, more and more animals are added to the unwanted list. That list is getting full. Even though they are animals, their blood is still on humans’ hands just as much as a child’s would be.
For those who need help with training their animals or are looking forward to adopting animals, these websites are places to look or ask for help. In Indianapolis, Animal Care Services is located at 2600 S. Harding St., and their phone number is (317) 327-1397. Their hours are from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Their website is indycares.org.