Tell me your pet stories!

Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I created this blog initially because I needed to create a website or forum about a topic of my choice that has an impact on society. The idea was to choose something that meant something to me and potentially change people's ideas about it. I chose to write about the dangers of over-breeding in society and all the unwanted animals that are killed everyday in shelters. I'm pretty sure that most of the people I know are all animal lovers so I knew I could get people interested in talking about it. But this blog is open to anyone, even if you don't agree with me or any of the writers. Please give your honest opinion, respectfully of course. My main goal right now is to see what people think about this topic and to hear about people's experiences with breeding, pet adoption, animal rescues, etc. So share your ideas and stories with me! And remember, even if in the past you have bought from a breeder, pet store, or have bred yourself, that's ok! All animals deserve a home and love, no matter where they come from. My goal is to help nudge you towards adoption for your next pet. I just want to share the facts and hear from all of my friends and online peers!

Some facts: 

*U.S. Animal Shelters put to death nearly 4 million dogs and cats per year because of simple math: too many animals and not enough homes (PETA)

*Today's purebred dogs have over 500 health defects including heart problems, disorders of the blood, respiratory problems, and skeletal system defects (K9 Magazine)

*Pets bred for flat faces have serious breathing problems

 

*The estimated percentage of purebred dogs in shelters is 25% (Humane Society)

*The number of feral cats in the U.S. is estimated to be over 60 million. "Feral cats are the wild offspring of domestic cats, and ALWAYS the result of pet owners who fail to spay or neuter their animals" (Feral Cat Coalition).

*The Humane Society estimates that a pair of breeding cats and their offspring can exponentially  produce over 400,000 cats in 7 years

*Pet stores often get their puppies from puppy mills where living conditions are terrible. It is a multi-million dollar industry. A state funded survey in California found that nearly half the puppies sold in pet stores were sick or incubating diseases.

I AM NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT THESE CATS AND DOGS WHO ARE SOLD IN STORES DO NOT DESERVE A HOME BECAUSE THEY COULD BE SICK OR CAME FROM BREEDERS. BUT IF PEOPLE CHANGED THEIR MINDS ABOUT BREEDING, THESE BUSINESSES WILL FAIL, AND PUPPY MILLS WILL BE SHUT DOWN. IF PEOPLE ENGAGED IN MORE RESEARCH, THEY WOULD FIND THAT THERE ARE MANY RESOURCES TO HELP THEM SPAY AND NEUTER THEIR PETS. SO THINK TWICE ABOUT GOING TO A BREEDER. GET YOUR LITTLE CRITTERS FIXED AS SOON AS IT'S POSSIBLE. LET'S RESCUE THOSE ANIMALS BY NOT CONTRIBUTING FINANCIALLY TO THE PEOPLE WHO'S MAIN GOAL IS PROFIT FROM BREEDING.

ANOTHER FACT: THESE ANIMALS WERE BORN INTO THIS WORLD WITHOUT ASKING, JUST LIKE YOU AND ME. WE CAN STOP THE BRUTAL OVER-BREEDING AND OVER-POPULATION IF WE EDUCATE OURSELVES AND ACT NOW....

AND ONE MORE FACT: ALL THEY EVER WANT IS LOVE....