New Website Demonstrates the Myth of Pet Overpopulation by Highlighting Success
Whenever I post about the needless killing of animals in shelters—such as my post on Saturday which discussed the decision by leadership at the pound in Pima, AZ to no longer send pregnant animals to rescue but to kill the unborn puppies instead—invariably one of the most common responses by those who defend killing is to claim that the animals are better off dead because there are already too many animals and not enough homes and no one wants the animals anyway. Sadly, these excuses often come from people who claim to love animals, even though they proceed to ignore my pleas that they take some time to educate themselves about why what they are arguing is not only contradicted by both fact and experience, but enables great harm.
For though the existence of pet overpopulation has been pedaled by the animal sheltering industry and sadly, the animal protection movement itself, for decades, in truth, it is simply does not exist. Citing statistics that show that there in fact plenty of homes available (ten times more, in fact, than the “supply” of animals in shelters) while trying to expose the true causes of shelter killing—primarily habit and convenience and despite existing life affirming alternatives collectively called “The No Kill Equation,” I recognize that while this information is important, nothing exposes the lie of pet overpopulation better than proof of those communities which have radically transformed themselves, which have rejected the excuse and the killing it enables and instead, have chosen to adopt out, rather than continue slaughtering, the animals in their care. And what these communities have discovered is that indeed there are plenty of homes available after all—a fact that even the regressive leadership at HSUS, at their last national conference, admitted to be true.
An exciting new website — Saving 90 — tracks just how many American communities have adopted their way out of killing or are very nearly there, a website that conclusively proves what can be accomplished when hand-wringing over the necessity of killing and promotion of the myth of pet overpopulation are replaced with determination and a can-do attitude bent on bringing such sordid killing to an end. Over 8,000,000 people live in communities saving 90% or more of dogs and cats in their shelters. Over 35,000,000 live in communities saving 80% or more of dogs and cats. And the numbers continue to grow.
Right now, this website tracks progress toward ending the killing of dogs and cats in our nation’s pounds and shelters. It will soon be updated to include rabbits and other animals. For those who want proof—just the stats and nothing else—demonstrating that many communities across the country are saving 95%, 99% and in a few cases 100% of the animals, here it is:
Please note: A 90% save rate does not mean No Kill, but it’s a big step in that direction. For more information, click here.
————-
Have a comment? Join the discussion by clicking here.