KVSV

PET OWNERSHIP PART THREE

Animal Shelters - Another Try or the Last Chance
By Terry Bailey

** Special note – The local Post Rock Humane Society has a strict NO KILL policy. Every animal that comes within their care is placed in a caring home. Not all stray and abandoned animals are this lucky.

One of the sad aspects of pet ownership is that for many pets, what started out as a happy home, results in the pet becoming homeless. The initial joy of having a pet turns into a daily obligation of pet care for the owner and the costs of owning a pet begin to mount. Most pets remain in their happy home but far too many end up on the streets, neglected and abandoned due to no fault of their own.

It is impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States; estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million.

The average cat reaches puberty and can reproduce at six to nine months. The number of litters a fertile cat produces can be up to three a year. The average number of kittens is four to six per litter.

The average dog reaches puberty and can reproduce at between eight and eighteen months. The number of litters a fertile dog produces can be up to two a year; the average number of puppies is four to six.

When family pets are spayed or neutered, the cost and obligation is generally a manageable factor in most households. When pets are not spayed or neutered, constant reproduction is an ongoing cost, duty and obligation.

According to the American Humane Association, the most common reasons why people relinquish their dogs is because their place of residence does not allow pets, not enough time, and divorce/death and behavior issues. The most common reasons for cats are that they were not allowed in the residence and allergies. Some families can cope with this, for other’s the solution is to abandon the pet to an animal shelter or to the streets. While this might solve the problem for the pet owner, it can literally be a death sentence to the abandoned animal

Many strays are lost pets who were not kept properly or provided with identification.

The cost of spaying or neutering is less than the cost of raising puppies or kittens for a year.

There are about 13,600 community animal shelters nationwide that are independent. Currently, no government institution or animal organization is responsible for tabulating national statistics for the animal protection movement. These are national estimates; the figures may vary from state to state.
Approximately seven and one half million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. This is equal to the human population of the states of Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Wyoming.

Approximately four million of these animals are dogs and three and a half million are cats.

About 650,000 animals who enter shelters as strays are returned to their owners.

Almost three million shelter animals are adopted each year.  This is an equal number of cats and dogs

Of the dogs entering shelters, approximately 35% are adopted, 26% of dogs who came in as strays are returned to their owner.

Of the cats entering shelters, approximately 37% are adopted, and less than 5% of cats who came in as strays are returned to their owners.

.Each year, approximately one and a quarter million dogs and one and one half million cats are euthanized or intentionally killed. This equals the human population of Omaha, Wichita, Denver, St. Louis, and Dallas.

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Beloit, KS 67420, USA