Controlling Pet Populations Katelyn Reynolds Mainland High Controlling pet populations is a problem most people don’t take seriously. According to the American Humane Society “Prior research studies suggest that 7 to 20 percent of pets entering a home, are no longer in that home six months after acquisition.” (American Humane Society, 2016) American Humane Society says animals can be taken out of a shelter and put in a home and be out back in the shelter. Changing Americans consciousness about animal care and how to treat pets, could lessen the need for shelters over the country.
Abusing an animal is against the law, and in some cases, with abusing pets, the owners beat them until death or close to it. It’s a very sad story and it should never happen but unfortunately it happens in our world. When police discover abuse in the home, they may fine the owners, confiscate the animal, and put the owner in jail or possibly prison. There are many forms of abuse some are, leaving your dog chained outside, not keeping the pet in a safe environment, and not cleaning their space. “About 1 million animals per year are abused because of domestic violence that occurs in the home where they live.” (Gallie. B, 2017) Brandon Gallie proved many animals are abused and not appropriately taken care of. The parents aren’t always the ones abusing the animal, and sometimes the kids in the household do it instead and is one reason why cats and dogs are on the street or in a shelter.
Most Americans don’t know what a puppy mill is. A puppy mill breeds dogs and keeps the dogs in cages all day. Puppy mills are known for dog cruelty. Mills keep the dogs in cages all day usually in unsanitary and unfit ways to live. Mills constitute, if not encourage the abuse of animals. Female dogs are bred as often as possible, leading to unusually short life spans. Puppy mills are not a safe environment for dogs. An animal should never be treated with such disrespect, and yet we have over 10,000 puppy mills in the United States. The dogs are usually in very small cages, that aren’t much bigger than the dog is, with several dogs. The dogs are always coped up and crammed in. Not always getting adequate nutrition. The dogs are also not getting the life they deserve. In buying puppies from stores or off the Internet you are supporting puppy mills, due to the fact most come from puppy mills. Dogs also get diseases in puppy mills. Dogs in puppy mills gets diseases because of the unsanitary environment the dogs live in. Many dogs in puppy mills have diseases and health problems. The health problems dogs have from being in puppy mills are” heart disease, kidney disease, blood disorders, deafness, mange, fleas, eye problems, etc.” ( Johh Pasque, 2017) According to John the dogs have very serious health problems or diseases from being in puppy mills.
Dog fights is a cruel place for dogs. The owners of the dog’s gamble and watch dogs fight each other until a winner and loser is chosen. Dog fights are forced onto the dog. The dog doesn’t have a choice on whether to fight or not. Another large source of dog cruelty is dog fighting. Both dogs in the end are injured and hurt. Usually the dog that gets injured or loses goes into the shelter, because the owner doesn’t see a use for the dog anymore. Dog fighting is against the law, dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states. Florida and California are the most popular states where dog fighting happens. Florida also has the highest ranking for dog cruelty and owners beating their dogs. The injuries can be endless for dog fights. If you don’t treat the wounds immediately after the dog is in a dog fight, the dog could possibly die. Some injuries are, collapsed lung, bacterial infection from the other dog’s teeth or claws, head injuries, etc.
References:
- American Humane Society (2016). Animal Population
- Control American Humane Society https://www.americanhumane.org/position-statement/animal-population-control/
- Gallie, B. (2017). 25 Fascinating Dog Abuse Facts and Statistics Small
- Business and Marketing Advice. https://brandongaille.com/23-fascinating-dog-abuse-facts-and-statistics/
- Pasque, J. (2017) 5 common illnesses that occur in puppy mills and why you should always adopt One Green Plant http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/common-illnesses-in-puppy-mill-dogs/
- https://animalstudiesrepository.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=acwp_awap
- https://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/kind-injuries-can-dogs-dog-fights-7542.html
