Please Support Spay/Neuter Programs

6,000,000 to 8,000,000 dogs and cats, by some estimates, enter U.S. shelters each year. While wide variations in accounting methods make exact numbers very difficult to ascertain, roughly half of them are euthanized.

The most important thing you can do to reverse this trend is to support spay and neuter efforts in your community. Find a good local program and donate your time to help. Become a messenger in your community for spay/neuter programs, by supporting them where they exist, or working to start them where they don’t. Convince your neighbors and elected representatives that funding spay/neuter is the most cost-effective way to help dogs and cats. Write letters to the editor supporting increased public funding for low-cost spay/neuter.

Next best thing you can do is adopt furry family members from shelters, rather than supporting pet stores and breeders. There is no good reason to ever choose a pet store or breeder when so many animals in shelters need homes.