Has anyone heard about the so-called "animal shelter" down in Bowling Green that was raided by state authorities last week? They found over 300 dogs and cats in horrific conditions, and even found bodies of dead pets in with live animals. These situations all stem from pet over population.
Every year between 6-8 million dogs and cats enter US shelters, some 3-4 million are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them. The solution to pet over-population is to spay and neuter your pets!
$2 billion is spent annually by local governments to shelter and ultimately destroy 8-10 million adoptable dogs and cats due to the shortage of homes. Each day 10,000 humans are born in the United States, 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, and high population numbers equal high euthanasia numbers.
**The average number of litters from a cat per year is 3.
* The average number of kittens in a litter is 4-6.
In a ten year period, a female cat can produce 180 kittens.
**The average number of litters from a dog per year is 2.
* The average number of puppies in a litter is 6-10.
In a ten year period, a female dog can produce 200 puppies.
You can do the math from here!
The main cause of accidental litters is procrastination and the cost of spaying and neutering. Louisville has many low cost/low income resources for spaying and neutering pets. Metro Animal Services and The Snip Clinic are two organizations locally that offer low cost spay/neuter services. Also, get your pet spayed/neutered before they reach sexual maturity (before 6 months of age). Not only will this prevent unwanted puppies/kittens, your pet will live a longer, happier, and healthier life.
For questions on spaying/neutering ( we also offer this service), please call The Downtown Animal Hospital (502) 585-1010.
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Dr. G