The Pet Supplies Blog - Pets, Dogs, Cats, Pet Supply Reviews, Equine, Rabbits, Aquariums

There are many reason why pets are given up to a local animal shelter or left for stray. Fortunately there are many reason to adapt and ways to limit unwanted pets. The statistics behind this problem indicate that:

About 60% of households in the U.S. have a pet. 60 million dogs and 75 million cats are owned as pets. Most pets are obtained at low/no cost through acquaintances and family members. Pets obtained in this manner may not be spayed/neutered. In many cases basic pet ownership responsibilities are not discussed. These kind of numbers lead to a potential issue if pets are not contained or spayed/neutered relative to unwanted breeding. Additionally, many are surprised by the extent of the responsibilities associated with pet ownership. Some of these pets are given up to shelters or become strays. In fact, 20% of those who leave a pet at a shelter initially adopted the pet from a shelter. Those people at least had some initial education on pet ownership responsibilities. One can surmise as to the extent of the issue with those who have not been formally introduced to pet ownership issues prior to taking in a pet. The unfortunate result is that each year 4 million dogs are killed.



At least 20% of cats are acquired as strays. The cost of spaying or neutering a pet is less than the cost of raising puppies or kittens for one year. The average cost of basic food, supplies, medical care and training for a dog or cat is $400 to $700 annually. It is much cheaper to attack the issue responsibly by spaying or neutering your pet before they cause or experience an unwanted pregnancy.

Understand what to expect as a pet owner before acquiring a pet

Don't be surprised about the restrictions and tasks involved with pet ownership. Pet are wonderful companions that can show us love. But as with anything worthwhile, there are responsibilities and time that we must give in order to receive that desired companionship. If you have not owned a pet before I can guarantee you will be surprised by the extent of what is required in pet ownership. Educate yourself before taking on a pet. The Humane Society of the United States have an article on pet adoption to help. Search the Internet for other articles on the subject. It really only takes a few minutes of your time to become informed. You can then decide if pet ownership is right for you at that particular time.

Keep your pet properly contained

If your pet is not spayed or neutered than you need to keep them away from other pets or strays. There are different ways to accomplish this but you need to make it simple on yourself to assure success. Pets that are outside can be contained through tieouts and runners, electric fences or traditional backyard fencing. If you do not have traditional fencing I have found electric fences to be convenient and effective. They also now make electric fences for cats. Containment is more difficult for a cat that is allowed outdoors. In this case, if an electric fence is not used than spaying/neutering is the only other alternative.


If you decide pet ownership is for you - Adopt a Pet

Stray/unwanted pets are euthanized if not adopted. Therefore you can save a life and get a companion all at one time. There is a vast selection such as purebreds , mixed breeds and mature pets that you can select from at your local animal shelter. Even pets like rabbits are available. The following link gives further information on this :

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_adoption_information/.

Petfinders.com is a organization that tries to place unwanted pets from various shelters. They provide information on pet ownership and adopting to help the potential owner understand the issues we discuss above and prepare for a new arrival. There is a search mechanism to locate a pet. We obtained our dog through this organization and were very happy with the process and result.

Another website called dogsindanger.com is dedicated to listing pets at shelters that need adoption. They give information on the pet and indicate how much time the pet has before it will be destroyed - an unfortunate reality and why I took the time to write this!!! You can search for pets based on criteria.

Hopefully this information give you a start in the understanding the reasons behind the need for pet adoption and what we can all do to assist in the issue.

Labels: Containment, Electric Pet Fence