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Cassidy Henderson

Jackie Burr, Instructor

English 2010, Section 3

12 April 2019

Pet Abandonment: How it can be Prevented

As humans adapt and grow in the world of technology, the world of companionship and

love for others stays consistent. Pets have been in the lives of humans since the very beginning.

In a grave dating back to around 10000 BC two skeletons were found-- one of a human and the

other a puppy-- it seems as if the puppy was cradled in their arms (“A Secret History of Pets”).

With this in mind, why are so many pets and domesticated animals being found as strays on the

streets? Humans and their pets share a special bond, sometimes more special than a bond

between two humans. For those who know and have appreciated this special bond with a pet, it

breaks their hearts to see strays on the street.

A history of pets is very brief; humans found young wolf cubs and decided to

domesticate them for practical reasons, farmers in ancient civilizations used cats to ward off

unwanted rodents (ancient egyptians also praised felines), Romans and Greeks owned pets for

religious purposes, in the Middle Ages humans bred lap dogs to have noble women look

wealthier, and nowadays dogs are bred and used for emotional support and are a man’s greatest

companion (“The Evolution of Pet Ownership”). Pets have been around for quite a long time,

they are very loyal to the human race. Other things such as technology are another story. The

history of pets is much more brief, technology is always evolving and gets changed constantly.

For example, something specific, such as the telephone, was first made and manufactured in
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1877. Between then and now, the first long distance call got made, mobile car based phones were

used, the first mobile phone was made, voice over internet, smartphones, texting, and so much

more was used in the process to make technology how it is today. Pets will not be abandoned and

forgotten about like flip phones, pets stay with you and never change (“VirtualPBX Phone

History”).

Approximately 6.5 million animals are brought into shelters per year (“Pet Statistics”).

Since people are starting to realize what they can do for the cause, the number is slowly starting

to drop. Many different ways are used to prevent animal abandonment and the amount of strays

on the streets, and if everybody helped, the number of abandoned pets would decrease. An article

by the ASPCA states, “The number of dogs and cats euthanized in U.S. shelters annually has

declined from approximately 2.6 million in 2011” (“Pet Statistics”). This is because pets are

successfully being returned to their owners or getting adopted. Pet euthanization has much

controversy, whether you believe it is wrong or if you believe it just has to be done; nevertheless,

whatever you may think, killing millions of pets a year is not needed.

Although pet abandonment is cruel and inhumane, sometimes people have no way around

it. Owners may be going through something personal and can not take care of their pet for the

time being. Examples of why owners are unable to take care of their pets may be: financial

reasons, loss of home or a house that is not suitable for the pet, death or serious illness, allergies

to the pet, divorce or break up of a relationship, poor awareness of the pet’s future needs, training

and behavioral problems, veterinary expenses that exceed the client’s budget or willingness to

pay for care, and abuse situations (Maro). Whatever the reason is, it is not always a person’s fault

that they are unable to home their own pet. Although, no matter the circumstance, abandoning a
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pet will still lead to legal consequences. Understand what you can do to prevent this and to help

others in need.

If you or someone you know must rehome their pet, make sure to make it known. Post it

on social media, talk to friends and family members, link the pet to as many animal shelters as

you can. Rehoming pets is very important because shelters are not able to house pets forever.

Most shelters euthanize pets because they may be overcrowded and unable to find the pets

forever homes. Also, even if the pet is older and has mental or physical problems, it still may be

able to find a home. You would be surprised how many people would happily take an older pet

over a puppy. This is mostly because they want to avoid the stage where puppies are causing

behavioral troubles such as biting and soiling the house.

Some pets have behavioral issues that drive their owners insane. Dogs soiling the house,

puppies chewing up furniture, cats scratching their owners; there is no end to the trouble they can

cause within households. Many people out there are impatient; for example, a man, “shut his

[car] door and attempted to drive off without [his] dog. The dog started to chase the car and

that’s when officers moved in to stop him” (Padgett). The rest of the story explains that the

reason he did this was because the dog, Prince, “wouldn’t listen” and “poops around the house”.

What this man did not realize was that there are better ways to deal with behavioral issues rather

than to abandon them, even though he was frustrated. Immediately go to the vet if you are having

issues with your pet, it will not get any better unless you try and get professional help. If your vet

tells you to visit a behaviorist, do so. Get as educated as possible when it comes to your pet, they

are basically family.

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Many pet owners have troubles with finances; consequently, this makes it harder to pay

for unexpected health issues with the pet, needed vaccinations, etc. There are ways to help pets

get what they desperately need. Quite simply, if you bring it to a veterinarian and explain your

dilemma, they have ways to aid you. These people want to help animals and they would not turn

down a pet in need. Financial issues can be scary, especially when you are responsible for many

things, but that does not mean you have to leave your pet behind to help yourself. Actually,

studies show that pets improve mental health and will help you through hard times. Think twice

before giving up on your pet, they truly are a gift to humanity.

Some people care for their animals like children. In fact, “Chinese Buddhism upholds the

belief that ‘all beings are equals’ (zhong sheng ping deng) and encourages vegetarianism and

freeing captive animals” as well as treating pets as if they were a human too (Sima 1). There

have been many situations in which owners will fight against evacuation during life threatening

situations to save their companions. According to a journalist named Robin Chadwist, “A 2012

survey of pet owners in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico approximated that 75% of

respondents would take their pets with them during a disaster evacuation, even at the risk of their

own safety” (1413). The most dedicated pet

owners would risk their lives before

abandoning their pets. This loyalty should be

spread out and shared among the world to give

pets the dedication they deserve.

Millions of pets are sheltered around the

globe. Referring to the infographic below,

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approximately 3.9 million dogs are put in shelters nationwide every year and they are either

reclaimed, adopted, kept there, or euthanized. Close to a third of these hounds are euthanized,

which ultimately means they are killed. You can help in many ways, one example is adopting

instead of shopping for pets. There are too many people who prefer brand new puppies over a

mature and already-trained dog. It could save a dog’s life to pick it up from a shelter rather than

encouraging more puppies to be bred and more puppy mills to develop. Puppy mills are not a

great source to pick up dogs from. Most of their breeding comes from inbreeding and they

produce so many puppies that it causes more sheltered dogs in the future. If you prefer not to

adopt, you can always foster a pet before they find their forever home. Shelters fill up fast and it

makes both yours and the dog’s lives better in the long run. Those of you that really want to get

involved can join rescue groups and volunteer at local pet shelters. It is a great way to get

experience with animals as well as learning more about the process of what happens to strays.

Another thing that can prevent the number of stray animals on the street is getting your

pet neutered or spayed. Thousands of animals are being born on the streets because of the lack of

neutering. This can cause a larger spread of disease and illness passed down from these animals,

as well as an increased number of animals in shelters that do not have homes. Be a responsible

pet owner and get your pets neutered or spayed as well as taking them to get their general

vaccinations and more as needed. It is very dangerous to have animals walking around with

potential diseases so make sure to be responsible and get them checked out.

A specific organization that helps against pet abandonment is the Northern Utah Valley

Animal Shelter. Their main goal is to reunite lost pets to their owners and to help get pets

adopted to those who want them. They partner with many other animal shelter and animal
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control agencies and organizations as well as rescue Groups, animal welfare organizations, and

public health and welfare agencies. People who feel strongly about helping pets in need can

volunteer to work for this shelter, or any shelter in that matter. Putting yourself out there and

helping animals in need is great for yourself and the environment. In the interview with the

Northern Utah Valley Animal shelter, the lady spoke about what everyday people can do to help.

She said:

Be sure not to get a pet unless you are able to care for it, educate yourself about what

constitutes animal abuse, neglect, abandonment and how to recognize the signs, keep a

lookout for animals that exhibit the signs of being abused or abandoned, and report

suspected to cases of animal abuse/neglect/abandonment to the proper authorities.

These are examples of things you can do while living your everyday life, it is not something you

need to go out and do. If you notice any of these signs, report it.

Pets have been with us for centuries and have been nothing but loyal to the human race,

even through breeding and abuse, they are man’s best friend. They give us love, companionship,

and much more, and it is time to give back. The number of strays can be decreased, animals can

be rescued from shelters, people can end pet abandonment, and much more. There are too many

animals on the street and they need help, not for more people to be feeding the issue. Stop

abandonment among pets and give to the community.

Works Cited

“A Secret History of Pets: Why Humans Have Kept Animals as Pets since Ancient Times.”

Express.co​. 25 July 2013. Web. Accessed 6 April 2019.

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Chadwin, Robin. “Evacuation of Pets During Disasters: A Public Health Intervention to Increase

Resilience.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 107, no. 9, Sept. 2017, pp.

1413–1417.

Maro, Cynthia. “Solutions to Animal Abandonment.” ​The Times.​ 14 Aug. 2016. Web. Accessed

8 April 2019.

NUVAS​. Email Interview. 11 April 2019.

“Pet Statistics.” ​ASPCA.​ Web. Accessed 8 April 2019.

Sima, Yangzi, and Siobhan O’Sullivan. “Chinese Animal Protection Laws and the Globalisation

of Welfare Norms.” International Journal of Law in Context, vol. 12, no. 1, Mar. 2016,

pp. 1–23.

“The Evolution of Pet Ownership”. ​Pedigree.​ March 2018. Web. Accessed 10 April 2019.

​ eb. Accessed 10 April 2019.

“VirtualPBX Phone History: Telephone Timeline”. ​VirtualPBX. W