This is not an easy topic.
There are over 10 million dogs and cats killed each year in pounds or shelters. The reasons people have for getting rid of a pet include:
- too big
- sheds
- jumps on people
- not housebroken
- digs
- won’t come when called
- allergies
- too much bother
- moving
- divorce
- kids grown
- too old
- .....
Some of the reasons are valid; most are not.
There are over 10 million dogs and cats killed each year in pounds or shelters. This does not include those pets abandoned or dumped, left to starve to death, hit by vehicles and injured or killed, shot (guns or arrows), poisoned, used as bait in dog-fight training, tortured by sick individuals, or caught and used in experiments in laboratories.
If you have a pet that has behavioral issues (for instance, he/she is not housebroken, nips/ bites, scratches furniture, jumps on people), and you change your mind and don’t want the pet anymore, why do you think anyone else would want your pet? Why would someone else want to try to deal with the problems you didn’t bother working on?
The odds of a pet with serious behavioral problems, or an old pet, being adopted are almost non-existent. The humane societies, the pounds, and the shelters are filled to overflowing - they can’t take any more animals. The people who work in breed rescue have to refuse to take any more animals because their few volunteers have as many or more animals than they can easily manage. The life of an animal at a city pound averages three days before it is killed. In some instances, if the pet is owner-surrendered, it is killed immediately. That way, then there is room for another one.
If you are thinking about getting rid of your pet, please visit Can We Help You Keep Your Pet for advice on behavioral problems, and encouragement.
For suggestions on how to place a newspaper ad, please visit Sanctuary for Senior Dogs - see the information at the bottom of the home page. You can also check out Wonderpuppy's Finding A New Home For Your Pet.
ABTCA would be happy to help you work on behavioral issues, or refer you to a veterinarian or animal behaviorist, for help with your pet.
Please do not contact ABTCA in the hope that a member will be happy to adopt your unwanted pet. As a club, our focus is working with owners to train their dogs to be loved, well-behaved family members. Thank you.
