Vallery Diaz-Ruiz

Stray Animals

Many beloved animals across the U.S. are abandoned. Some are lucky to be turned into a shelter or rescued while others are not so lucky and just abandoned on the street. These animals are abandoned for many reasons. For example, they grew too big, aggressive, too energetic, etc. It's sad to know that even sometimes these pets don't know what they have done wrong to be abandoned. They can suffer from many things ranging from mentally to physically because of abandonment. 

Research & Statistics

• There are about 70+ million stray animals in the U.S.

• There are more than 7.6 million dogs that go into shelters every year. This causes shelters to be overcrowded and when there is no more space in shelters more animals end up in the streets. 

• This overcrowding also causes euthanasia in shelters, because of the lack of space. "Each year, approximately 2.7 million dogs and cats are killed every year because shelters are too full and there aren’t enough adoptive homes." "56 percent of dogs and 71 percent of cats that enter animal shelters are euthanized."

• The euthanasia alone is sad to know that many animals go in and don't come back out, especially the stray dogs with no home. " 5,500 euthanized dogs every day."

• Many of these stray animals are not spayed and that can cause many issues with creating more stray animals. "...one un-spayed female dog and her offspring can create 67,000 dogs and one un-spayed female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 kittens in seven years..." 

(Top pie chart is of the animals that leave from shelters. The bottom pie chart is of the animals that come into shelters. County of Los Angeles Animal Care and Control)

According to NPR.org, " Stray dogs also present safety issues when they roam in packs, causing traffic accidents, attacking residents and spreading ". This amount of stray animals is increasing every year, with people abandoning them. As PETA says, " Many more unwanted animals are simply abandoned to suffer and die on the streets or languish in lonely backyards without companionship, exercise, or, in many cases, even basic necessities such as food, water, shelter, or veterinary care." PETA also explains some of the reasons why some of these animals are abandoned. Now that can range very differently depending on the family. "Many people fail to spay or neuter their dogs and cats, who then reproduce, creating enormous numbers of kittens and puppies. People still buy animals from breeders or pet stores (thereby supporting the puppy mills that supply them) instead of adopting homeless animals. And people acquire companion animals without considering the lifetime commitment that caring for them requires. Eventually, people turn their backs on their loyal companions when they become “inconvenient” or “too much work.” PETA explains that people still go through the wrong ways of obtaining an animal that can cause even more stray animals. We have to stop these bad ways and try to save those stray animals who are in need of a home. 

Personal Opinion 

In my opinion I believe that all stray animals should be saved and have the right to a warm home, but often the case is that there are not enough space in shelters or not enough fosters, etc. Stray animals deserve a loving home and it's sad to know that some either had it and was taken away or they simply have never had it in the first place. Which can lead to feral animals, animals who have only known the streets and don't know about a loving hand.

Claudia Rodriguez

"I feel bad for the stray animals because most of them have been abandoned. It makes me want to help but I don't have the resources to take them all in or if I am financially able to take them all I fear I wouldn't know if they need medical treatment or any shots. The only way I try to help is feeding them and putting water. " 

Brianna Sanchez

"I'd like to go around feeding all the stray animals but I'd be afraid of them thinking that I want to hurt them, which might make them hurt me. I know it's not the best to just bring one home unless they're nice. If you're going to the shelter to get an animal then get it as a baby and give it vaccines. Especially if it's a puppy they get Pavo virus so quick. If the stray animals are in the streets then it's only more dangerous for them, they don't get neutered and reproduce and they can end up dying because of accidents where we hit them with our car. They also die because they can hide under the cars during the cold trying to find warmth." 

Karla Del Rio

"It makes me depressed. It's really heartbreaking to see stray animals on the streets not well fed and cared for. I truly wish there were more shelters, or enough money to open more no kill shelters." 

Amanda Hua

"Cats are okay at being strays and are hardly saved. Whereas dogs are always saved and adopted. People  always have more love for dogs than other animals. Cats are not as terrifying as people make them out to be. Cats can be just as loving and loyal as a dog."

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." 

― Mahatma Gandhi

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” 

–Anatole France

Resources

“11 Facts About Animal Homelessness.” DoSomething.org, https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-animal-homelessness.

“Animal Companion Overpopulation.” PETA, PETA, 22 June 2010, https://www.peta.org/issues/animal-companion-issues/overpopulation/.

“Animal Shelter Euthanasia.” American Humane, 25 Aug. 2016, https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/animal-shelter-euthanasia-2/.

“PDF.” 2019.

Pepelko, Kristina. “12 Alarming Facts About Pet Homelessness.” One Green Planet, One Green Planet, 9 May 2014, https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/12-alarming-facts-about-pet-homelessness/.

“Pet Statistics.” ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics.

Raphelson, Samantha. “No 'Easy Answer' To Growing Number Of Stray Dogs In The U.S., Advocate Says.” NPR, NPR, 29 Dec. 2017, https://www.npr.org/2017/12/29/574598877/no-easy-answer-to-growing-number-of-stray-dogs-in-the-u-s-advocate-says.

“Statistics.” No Kill Advocacy Center, https://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/statistics.html.