Check out BE THE CHANGE FOR ANIMALS - A site where everyday advocates band together to make the world a better place for animals.
Four times a year, they ask bloggers to speak out for an animal related cause through a united effort called "Blog the Change."
My cause for today is to encourage animal adoption.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, 6 – 8 million dogs and cats are turned over to US shelters each year.* Only ½ of them will find homes. The other half will be euthanized. Please take a moment to consider those numbers.
3 – 4 million. Dead.
Why? There are many reasons people turn in their animals, some reasonable, and some ridiculous.
Sometimes there is an upheaval in the human household; loss of home, unemployment, death, divorce, military service overseas. Often a family discovers that a baby is on the way and decide they cannot handle a child and a dog.
Sometimes the animal has issues; aggression, house soiling, destructive behaviors. Maybe the owner did not take the time to research the animal’s exercise needs and found that they just can’t keep up with their new pet. This often happens with Labradors and Vizslas, breeds that are dear to my heart.
Some animals are picked up roaming the streets, like my girl, Leah. Where they came from, nobody knows. In many cases, nobody cares. Often they are dumped on the side of the road. Some are thrown from moving cars.
Many of these animals are from unspayed dogs and cats having unwanted litters. Yes, shelters DO destroy puppies and kittens. Not all of them find homes.
From time to time, a puppy mill is shut down for keeping animals in horrendous conditions, a hoarder’s home is discovered, or a fighting ring disbanded - and hundreds of animals are taken into the system at one time. Too many to find homes for all at once.
Greyhounds are raced until they lose their edge, and then discarded with no more thought than you would give to tossing an empty soda can. Hunting dogs that aren’t good enough hunters are often treated the same.
Sometimes, people turn their animals in because the animal is old, infirm, or doesn’t match their new furniture!
Whatever the reason, all of these animals are waiting to see what side of the statistic they will end up on. They are in shelters, they are in foster homes, they belong to your neighbor who is going through a life change and is trying to do the responsible thing by finding a new home for their best friend. These animals are waiting for someone to rescue them, for someone to take them home and give them a warm place to sleep, to fill their bellies with food, and most importantly, they are looking for someone to love them. They have a fifty-fifty shot of finding that person.
Could that person be you?
*The Humane Society of the United States
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Check out all of these wonderful posts from other bloggers who also particpated in Blog the Change today:
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