what if i told you that millions of dogs
and cats have been abused every single
year
not just in southeast asia but instead
in europe
australia north america everywhere
that as we sign petitions to stop people
eating these animals
they are also suffering and dying on our
doorstep as well
we often refer to ourselves as a nation
of dog and cat lovers
we love them in our homes we love their
company
but how often do we reflect on where
these animals came from
this is what the pet industry does to
our dogs and cats
it is estimated that on any given day in
the united states there are 70 million
homeless dogs and cats
and in the uk there are 000 dogs
and an unknown number of cats living
without homes
at the same time as this approximately
6.5 million dogs and cats enter u.s
shelters every single year with 1.5
to three million also being euthanized
every single year
as well this means somewhere between
four thousand
and eight thousand dogs and cats are
euthanized each day
in the us and in the uk it is estimated
that
000 dogs are euphemized each year
so how can it be that the nations who
pride themselves
on loving these animals are also
responsible for millions of them
suffering
and dying every single year of course
it is easy to feel angry at the shelters
and organizations that are euthanizing
these animals
but by doing that do we miss the bigger
issue
to find out who is at fault the real
question needs to be
why are there so many dogs and cats in
the first place
in order to answer this we must split
the answer
into two firstly the issue of spay
and neutering the reproductive cycles of
one female dog and her subsequent
offspring
can produce 67 000 puppies
in just six years while a female cat and
her offspring can produce 370
000 kittens in seven years with these
numbers
it becomes easy to understand how
overpopulation
becomes a significant problem especially
as there are tens of
millions of dogs and cats who are not
spayed and neutered
and to add more to the spay and neutral
argument a study conducted by banfield
pet hospital
on a database of 2.2 million dogs and
460
000 cats concluded that both species
live a significantly longer life
after being neutered or spayed but there
is of course
also the issue of humans breeding these
animals
as well the most infamous examples of
this are of course puppy and kitten
mills
which are essentially commercial
breeding facilities for the mass
production
of dogs and cats these facilities which
are legal
and in the us or even usda licensed
are where most pet stores globally get
their puppies and kittens
in these mills animals are usually
crammed into overcrowded cages
denied healthy food clean water and
veterinary care
the animals are bred constantly and the
horrific conditions
poor genetics early weaning and stress
can cause the puppies and kittens to
develop serious health
and behavioral problems once the animals
are no longer able to be bred
they will normally just be killed and
these are the legal facilities
in the eu 46 000 dogs are sold every
month
between the member states with most of
them
being unregistered in fact according to
interpol
the trafficking of pets is the third
most common form of international
trafficking
after weapons and drugs but what about
smaller breeders
breeding puppies and kittens is often
seen as a quick way of making money
as it is a lucrative business however
the issues
albeit on a smaller scale are still
prevalent with smaller breeding
businesses
as well with puppies and kittens being
prone to health problems
birth defects and incorrect medical care
ultimately
it is a financial venture not an
altruistic one
and the breeding of dogs and cats in any
situation
contributes to more suffering for those
animals in shelters
who need a loving home whilst we may
call ourselves dog
and cat lovers our actions suggest the
opposite
millions of people buy puppies and
kittens from breeders
and then either can't handle the
responsibility or change their minds
and then put these animals on the street
or into shelters
with the huge number of animals being
euthanized and forced onto the streets
each year it cannot be ethically
justified to breed these animals
especially just to make money from them
and in reality we are talking about
millions of
individual animals suffering each going
through their own experience of abuse
neglect fear and death our selfish
nurses even led to us going to extreme
lengths to selectively breed dogs
so that they have specific traits even
though doing so comes at a detriment
to their well-being for example toy and
miniature breeds who suffer from
dislocated kneecaps and heart problems
and dogs with flat faces
and shortened air passages who suffer
from breathing problems
furthermore pedigree dogs and cats are
the victims
of our traditions events like crafts
celebrate
our forced selective manipulation
inbreeding
and mass production of dogs our invented
and arbitrary requirements of the
perfect dog
are paraded around for a competition but
what's kept hidden
or purposefully ignored are the
inherited diseases
health issues deformities and abuses
that take place with breeders eve
admitting that they have euphemized
healthy dogs
simply for having the wrong features
desired by the judges
but there is good news as it is also
reported that the number of dogs and
cats being placed in shelters
and also euthanized has decreased since
2011
with more and more people looking to
rescue animals and not buy them
ultimately we cannot simply pay lip
service when it comes to protecting
animals
it is through our actions that we can
make sure that what we say
is in alignment with what we do for the
sake of those we claim to care about
always adopt and never shop
you