Did you know…. Close to a billion dogs, cats and other companion animals die each year in the United States due to abandonment and neglect. Twenty million of those animals are euthanized in shelters while the rest die on the streets and in backyards. The numbers are staggering. Animal lives can be saved if the public would take responsible action.
Adopt…Don't Buy. For almost every breed
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there is a rescue group.
Most dog and cat breeds -- and many other kinds of pets -- have their own rescue groups. You can find these groups by going to www.google.com and typing in the kind of animal or breed and the words “rescue group.” For example, you will find rescue groups for even less common pets such as the PA Ferret Rescue Association at www.ferretrescue.com and Macaw Rescue at www.macawrescue.com.
Never buy from a pet shop or breeder.
The majority of dogs and cats sold in pet shops are raised in “puppy and kitty mills.” There, the animals spend their lives in small wood and wire mesh cages -- or even empty crates -- where the females are breed continuously until they die or are killed at the age of five or six years when their bodies give out. Mothers and babies suffer from exposure to outdoor weather and extreme temperatures, malnutrition, disease and lack of veterinary care. Puppies and kittens are shipped from mill to broker to pet shop in pickup trucks, tractor-trailers and sometimes planes packed in crates with inadequate food. It is estimated that only half of the animals bred at mills survive to make it to market. Pennsylvania's Lancaster County is one of the largest purveyors of puppy mills in the nation. To learn more, go to www.mainlinerescue.com.
SPECIAL WARNING: If you have to place a stray or unwanted pet in a new home, contact a reputable no-kill rescue group or shelter for assistance. Be sure the group is a non-profit organization and has a registered 501©(3) status letter from the IRS. Otherwise, the fate of your animal could be worse than death. The “rescuer” could be a buncher -- a person who collects stray and unwanted dogs and cats for sale to laboratories or other bunchers or brokers. Bunchers have been caught stealing dogs and cats and soliciting unwanted animals while pretending to be members of rescue groups.
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After Adoption: Love, Responsible Care And Spay/Neuter
Companion animals are children who never truly “grow up.” You become the center of their universe. They are dependent on you for their survival and their love is unconditional. An animal adoption is a commitment -- for life. Once home, your new animal “child” will need a visit to the veterinarian for a check-up, vaccinations and any necessary medical treatments.
Photo courtesy of Hiroko Tanaka
All dogs, cats and many smaller mammals should be spayed
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or neutered within the first six months of their lives. Never allow your companion animal outdoors except on a lease or halter or in a safe enclosure.
All of the following surgical procedures are considered inhumane and are outlawed in many countries and states:
- Debarking (primarily dogs)
- Declawing (primarily cats)
- Ear and tail cropping (primarily dogs)
There are many excellent manuals regarding companion animal care available at libraries and bookstores. Do you have any recommended books/manuals?
