I have to give a persuasive speech to convince people to adopt a pet.
Answers:
The reality of overpopulation:
6-8 million dogs %26 cats enter shelters yearly
3-4 millions dogs %26 cats are euthanized at shelters yearly
25% of dogs in shelters are purebreds
Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce yearly: 3
Average number of kittens per litter: 4-6
In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats.
Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce yearly: 2
Average number of puppies per litter: 6-10
In six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs.
alot!
Sadly, 10 MILLION dogs and cats is what I've read. What a heartbreaking statistic.
So please spay/neuter your pets.
Way too many. Mainly due to those backyard breeders. NUTER YOUR PETS!
whatever the real number is it is too many..
The most persuasive arguement to make people want to adopt that I know of is the method of euthanasia that is used in many shelters.
I worked in one for a year. The turnover rate for employees at shelters is very high because of the task of euthanasia.
Here is where some of you may want to stop reading.
The dogs are restrained by a handler (often muzzled if they offer to bite or fight back). They are often very frightened and many have never been handled. A solution is injected into their vein in their foreleg, and then they slump and die. This is the ideal scenario. But, many times, the vein blows and the procedure is incomplete. Then the person doing the injection has to try the other leg. Sometimes that fails also. The dogs invariably die with their eyes open staring at you (I felt like they looked at me with blame and anger), then they lose control of their bodily functions. No dignity in death whatsoever. Cats are normally injected straight into their hearts. To make sure that the animal is dead, they touch the animals open eye to look for a reaction. Ugh.
Horrible way to go. I adopted out as many animals to my family and friends as I could, and took home as many as they would let me. I tried to pick the ones that I knew would not get homes otherwise. I hated that job, and only took pleasure in the fact that I tried to make their short lives more pleasant when I could. When they began to teach me to give the injections, I QUIT that job.
All of my dogs and cats are all spayed and neutered.
Yes, pure breed and many are greyhounds!
An industry defender points out, "Killing surplus greyhounds is a necessity of the business. When a dog outlives its usefulness, it's got to be destroyed. " Some may be used for research. But many more are euthanized. One source estimates as many as 30,000; another between 53,000 and 93,000 greyhounds are destroyed each year, depending on the number of puppies born.
This is a fact, not to mention all others
I worked in a shelter where the city was 50 000 people - every week we would euthanize about 20 cats/kittens 1 rabbit or guinea pig and 2-3 dogs/puppies
more in the later summer and early winter. fewer animals would be admitted through the winter and early spring so we had more room
some were euthanized becuase of health but probably fewer than 10 %.. most it was simply lack of space - we kept animals in the back for about 2 weeks to see if their original owner would claim them - most dogs were claimed.. few cats.. then if their was space the remaining pets would move into adoption where they would remain for about 2 months.. after 2 months if they were not adopted they were euthanized.. usually they were depressed or agressive at this time anyhow.
kittens and pups stood a far better chance.. but not always
in bigger cities they put down hundreds a week, sometimes hundreds a day. I couldnt imagine working there.. how sad for the staff.
adopting is often cheaper than taking a free pet becuase the vet care is done already and often they have good health guarantees.. since shelters get discounts and are non-profit its cheaper to adopt then get this done on your own..
good luck with your speach - remember its also important to spay or neuter
** I should add after reading the other posts - cats at our shelter were not euthanized that way -typically and most of the times it was "peaceful" but obviously unpleasant. the saddest was euthanizing newborns.. but it was the adults I felt worse for - killed simply becuase they are not cute enough to be adopted.. how sad.
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