:: Sentenced for Life ::

Euthanasia | Abandonment | Exotic Pets

Abandonment: A Horror Story

"Dogs were not put on the earth to pose, prance, sit, point and have their coats shampooed. They were created to chew shoes, bark at cars, have accidents on the rug and get their tummies scratched."

- Roger Ebert

Chew on this...

In the time it took you to read this page, approximately 200 companion animals were euthanized in just the United States animal shelters.
Did you know that one female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in six years? One female cat and her offspring can produce up to 420,000 cats in seven years!
More than 3 million dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and other animals are euthanized yearly simply because they weren't enough homes for them.
Did you know that for every companion animal that has a loving home, there are thousands barely making it?
Approximately 75,000 puppies and kittens are born just in the United States alone daily.
An estimated 6 to 8 million cats and dogs are surrendered to animal shelters annually just in the United States alone. Approximately half of those animals are euthanized as a result of the shelters not being able to find them homes.

What can you do?

Check out our
Involvement Center
for more information!

How are unwanted companion animals dealt with?

Relegated to the backyard, chained, confined in the garage or basement.
Get picked up by animal control officers when a report of neglect or abuse is filed; these animals are held in shelters.
Abandoned by owners in strange places under the assumption that they will make it okay.

How do companion animals get to be unwanted?

Our team surveyed a few people to get an idea. We interviewed people we met at animal shelters and also spoke to shelter employees. Here are the top three reasons for abandonment:

Inappropriate behavior (digging, barking, biting, chewing, etc.)
Too much effort to care (cannot exercise the dog, unable to supervise)
Don't how to care for the particular breed

1= 59 / 2=18 / 3=4
Total people
surveyed: 81

References

The Humane Society of the United States.
Animal Alert: Abandoned by Jenny Oldfield.
Interview with Greater Derry Humane Society, East Derry, NH, USA