Reasons For Animal Or Pet Euthanasia

Animal euthanasia is the act of inducing death to an animal.  Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress.Generally, this act is called as “putting asleep” an animal although the truth is it is equivalent to giving a painless death to the pet.  Meanwhile organizations like animal rescue groups and animal rights organizations strictly oppose this method.  They say pet adoption could dramatically reduce the number of animals being “put to sleep”.

Animal euthanasia is an outcome of many reasons.  Terminal illness, behavioural problems like aggression can be reasons for euthanasia.  While there are animal owners inducing their animals or pets to euthanasia when they have illnesses or broken limbs that requires big medical and financial attention.

For animal or pets,  old age is a general reason for making them the subject of euthanasia.  Meanwhile for animal shelters, they induce euthanasia since they do not have enough space or room for an abandoned animal. 

According to Humane Society of the United States, there is an estimated 4 to 5 million of adoptable animals in animal shelters euthanized due to lack of facilities.  While American Humane Association cites even a bigger number, Every year in United States about 9.6 million animals are getting euthanized. 

According to the survey conducted by the American Humane Association, out of the 1000 shelters who responded to the survey, 2.7 million of 4.3 million animals (64 percent) are being euthanized.  Out of this euthanized number, 56 percent are dogs and 71 percent are cats.There 2 percent of cats and 15 percent of dogs were reunited by its owners.  Just a dismal 25 percent of dogs and 24 percent of cats were adopted. 

Majority of the animals in shelters were being euthanized since there is a standard period of time (ranging from several days to weeks for unclaimed stray animals).Although, animal welfare organizations and many other private organizations manage “no kill” shelters.  These “no kill” shelters make it an official policy never to euthanize animals for medical reasons.  

Another reason why animal euthanasia is creeping to our culture is because of pet overpopulation.  There are numerous pet owners surrendering their pet due to personal reasons and inadequacy in taking responsibility for their pets.There are quite a few people who love to have only puppies, once the puppy grows, they totally neglect it and finally surrender to the rescue groups or to the shelters. 

There are owners who due to failure of spaying or neutering their animals tend to reproduce.  There are thousands of litters being born in American homes every day.  It is important to consider the financial and medical attention and responsibility these huge numbers of pet reproduction.  We do not want to contribute to the raising number of people surrendering their pets for adoption.  Eventually, leading to not being adopted and euthanasia.

Clearly, there is crisis in the pet population of the United States.  Too many animal companions competing for a few good homes than will take them is a clear effect of uncontrolled breeding.

Dog bite victims are now ranging to 4.5 million each year, due to uncontrolled breeding. Some of the victims fall prey to homeless and stray animals in the streets.They cause danger for public, and the government is paying the money collected through tax for the maintenance of animal shelters and controlling these animals. 

Pet adoption is a great way of lessening the impact of the crisis in pet population. Instead of buying pets from puppy mills or companies that breeds animals for profit, adopting an animal is a great way of reducing the number of euthanized animals in shelters.

There are countless benefits of pet adoption.  There are studies conducted saying the adopted pets are more loyal and devoted since they have already experienced the worst.  Pet adoption is a great way of reducing the number of animals in shelters and making way for another one.  Pet adoption battles euthanasia – one pet at a time.

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