Ryan Carson

Research paper
Ashworth

ON:
Start with an interesting opener:

6.5 million companion animals enter animal shelters every year. This is just a snapshot,

a glimpse, of an issue that has remained and perpetuated our society for over fifty years. An

issue affecting many facets of our lives, including our industry, judicial system, and social

conduct, with each preying on another. Animal Overpopulation is an overwhelming problem for

the animals and humans involved, however, there are solutions we can turn to.

Firstly, we must address the social prospect and inform the public about what exactly

leads to the detriments of animal overpopulation. Our society is set up to get rid of things easily.

As Alex Rick said, We live in a disposable culture that discards things after they are done with

the amusement of them. Many animals are placed in this disposable category. Animals are

often taken to shelters or abandoned by people when things get tough. For instance, if the

animal has babies or gets sick, the owner will take them to the shelter. Pet owners also replace

puppies when their dogs get too old or the kids want a new pet. This only perpetuates the cycle

of breeding. Pet owners also need to be aware of how to get their pets neutered and spayed

before they breed. When pets have babies, owners do not know what to do and will often give

away the offspring and not neuter their pet. This leads to overpopulation because a single cat

can produce 60,000 kittens in one year. ( Rick, Alex K.) On top of that, there is commercial

breeding.

Over the years, reproduction has not changed in frequency or litter sizes, they remain

the same as they were millions of years ago. Astoundingly, A single female cat can have three

litters a year with an average of five kittens per litter. Thus, in only seven years, she and her

offspring could potentially produce 420,000 cats. In just six years, one female dog and her

brood can produce as many as 67,000 puppies. This is why having your pet spayed or

neutered when they are 6 months old is vital. Each year, about 25 million puppies and kittens

are born in the U.S., far exceeding the number of available homes and overcrowding our
nations shelter system. Given that America has approximately 4,000 shelters have very limited

resources, they have little choice but to euthanize many of the animals dropped on their

doorstep. Over 30% of the animals who wind up in shelters are surrendered by their

guardians, who, for whatever reason, are either unable or unwilling to care for them

anymore. ("Companion Animal Overpopulation: What You Can Do." Admin)

This also points to a larger systemic problem in the way animals are defined legally; that

is, as property. As long as animals are considered objects under the law that can be

discarded at the owners whim. The dangers they face in shelters is one of the many

dangers to animals due to overpopulation.

Many shelters become overcrowded and spread sickness throughout the animals

because they dont want to euthanize. Then, the shelters are hit with cruelty charges for

overcrowding and not enough resources. Shelters and people have good intentions of

not wanting to euthanize, but it usually leads to animal hoarding which creates a

dangerous and unsanitary environment for the animals. (Zimlich, Racheal) This shows

how overcrowding causes so many problems and is actually a bigger threat to animals

than infectious diseases. Of course, there remains issues in alleviating shelter

populations, as Concerns about transporting sheltered animals from overpopulated to

underpopulated areas are valid because of the spread of disease. After Hurricane

Katrina, heartworm was spread as homeless pets were sent throughout the country

from Louisiana. (Zimlich, Racheal) However, Most animals who are not taken in by

someone or brought to a shelter starve/ freeze to death, die from illness, or get run over

by cars.("Companion Animal Overpopulation: What You Can Do." Admin)

Mills are another issue, and raise the presence of danger for domestic animals

even further. Puppy mills are commercial breeding facilities that are created to mass
produce pets. These mills are highly unethical, and treat the puppies very poorly. 90

percent of the puppies sold at pet stores are from puppy mills. The problems with

these places are they do not provide nutrition, socialization, or proper care. The

breeders do not regard the animal's feelings or health. ("Dog Overpopulation and Puppy

Mills.") Puppy mills are illegal because of the cruelty. They just have to prove they

provide water and shelter. However, the puppies live in horrible conditions in order for

the mills to turn a profit. Caregiving and providing quality care is expensive.

Even if a breeder or Mill is raided and shut down, the animals remain.

FURTHERMORE, the money spent sheltering unwanted animals does nothing to help

solve the overpopulation problem, and instead detracts from sterilization, vaccination,

and education programs that do help. (Rick, Alex K)

Mills do a lot of inbreeding to save money which creates defects in the animals.

It can cause blindness, hip dysplasia, and even epilepsy. ("Dog Overpopulation and

Puppy Mills.") Female dogs are bred every heat cycle, and this exhausts the body. The

babies are taken from their mothers and shipped to pet stores. This causes attachment

issues for the puppies because they are not with their mother. This also causes them to

be less healthy because they do not get their mothers nutrients. The other side of the

puppy is how it behaves. Behavior problems are also a side effect of puppy mills

because they are not trained or socialized. ("Dog Overpopulation and Puppy Mills.")

Current U.S. Legislation makes almost no mention of domestic animal treatment.

Groups like the ASPCA and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) advocate for

animal rights, the anti-cruelty laws in the country are still woefully inadequate.

The Animal Welfare Act [Passed in 1966] says if an animal is fed, has water, and shelter, then it

is being treated humanely. They do not address the cleanliness or plentifulness of their water,

shelter/space, or food. These requirements are meant to impact domestic animal breeders and

resellers. In this Act, nothing is mentioned about veterinary care . The laws are not airtight and

many have loopholes breeders can get around in order to avoid the USDA all together and sell

directly to the general public. If a company or breeder sells directly to the public, they are not

subject to the Animal Welfare Act. The companies that do sell to stores and must go through

the AWA are not held to high standards. Most will not even lose their license for infractions.

While this information may seem bleak, there are actually many possible solutions

society can turn to. Starting with Spaying and Neutering animal companions at the correct age.

Sterilizing dogs and cats drastically reduces the number of puppies and kittens born so that

shelters can care for and place those that are already here [in shelters ] in loving homes.

Another option is to adopt animals from shelters ("Companion Animal Overpopulation: What You

Can Do." Admin) Never buy animals from a breeder or pet store. If you are absolutely

determined to have a particular breed dog or cat, please adopt one from a shelter or qualified

rescue organization. When you get a pet, make sure to Keep animal companions safe

("Companion Animal Overpopulation: What You Can Do." Admin) Put collars and ID tags on your

animal friends so you can get them back if they get lost. Ask your veterinarian to implant a

microchip under their skin for permanent identification. Try to prevent your dog or cat from

getting lost in the first place by securing your house or yard. Consider keeping cats inside.

(indoor cats have much longer lifespans on average than outdoor cats.)

Another option to explore is caps on how many animals a family could own. Shanghai

recently implemented a policy of one dog pet family in an effort to control the animal population

and curb rabies -- rabies takes up to 55,000 lives per year. However, the citys efforts have
seen a backlash from pet owners with more than one dog who fear losing their additional pets.

(Zelman, Joanna) Also, if a person sees a need in one city, they can take action. Many towns

and animal rights organizations focus on spay and neuter programs. Taylorsville, Kentucky, a

town overrun with cats, has focused on transporting cats across city lines in order to spay and

neuter each and every one of them -- they have an estimated 300 left to go. (Zelman, Joanna)

600million.org is an organization that proposes an animal sterilization pill to cut down on animal

population, and in turn, reduce animal abuse and killings. (Alex Pachino). The movement is

based on the notion that overpopulation is the greatest cause of animal mistreatment. THere are

an estimated 600 million stray dogs in the world, thus the organizations name. (Zelman, Joanna)

In its overall scope, Domestic Animal Overpopulation is entirely controllable. Doing so

the right way however isnt a matter of dictation, but of action. DO keep your pets indoors,

DONT let them simply run off, instead chip them and/or equip their collar with an identification

tag. Accept the help available for pet owners intended to assist with keeping animals in happy

homes, and out of the shelter system. Were everyone stop being so ready to throw away their

pets like plastic cutlery, or ostentatiously ignorant of government and private organizations that

assist in funding medical treatment for animals, and simply buying new dogs from mills that will

develop the very same issues rapidly and assuredly, there wouldnt be quite so many of them

caught between ownership and dereliction. Therefore, and in finality, While Animal

Overpopulation IS an overwhelming issue, there are solutions we can turn to. Should we

dedicate ourselves to pursuing them.