Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S. - and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. As a result, every year 4 to 6million animals are euthanized because there are no homes for them. What can you do to stop the suffering?
Spay and neuter your pet! In addition to saving lives, spaying and neutering can also drastically improve your pet's health and life expectancy. The idea that pets become fat or lazy when they are spayed or neutered is a myth. Sterilized pets lead healthier, longer lives. Spaying a female eliminates the possibility of uterine and ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the risk of breast cancer. Neutering a male reduces the risk of both prostate enlargement and prostate cancer. Neutering also will make your pet more affectionate and less likely to roam, get in fights, or become lost.
Here is a list of organizations that provide financial assistance to pet owners who are having trouble affording veterinary care. Keep in mind that each organization is independent, and therefore, have their own set of rules and guidelines as to how they distribute assistance. This means you will have to look into each one individually to determine if you qualify for assistance.
List of Animal shelters by state
At the heart of the National Humane Society’s mission is the idea of supporting animal shelters and the volunteers across the country that give time and resources to maintain those individual institutions. Currently there are approximately 13,600 shelters across the country serving an average of 7.6 million pets a year. Roughly 3.9 million of these animals are dogs, and 3.4 of them are cats (ASPCA findings).
In recent years, average adoption estimates range from 2.7 – 3 million animals, leaving a majority of these animals relatively hopeless. Our aim at the National Humane Society is to fund as many no-kill shelters as possible in order to save the lives of potential pets, and to continue our efforts in funding spay/neuter clinics. Dealing with the overpopulation crisis is a big picture, educational endeavor we are engaging in the national community with, but until real change can be actualized, our hope is to support the mission of shelters across the country, giving rescue pets clean, safe sanctuary until they can find their forever home.
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