According to Animal World Network more than 12 million dogs and cats are euthanized in U.S. animal shelters each year. The number is only going up as the economy forces people out of their homes and people are forced to leave their pets behind. Families who do find other housing often can’t take their pets with them. And some families don’t find other housing at all. Where does that leave their pets?

The answer to this question centers on human responsibility towards animals. When people can no longer take care of an animal due to personal circumstances or financial concerns, they should turn the pet over to a rescue organization or an animal shelter. For every pet that does wind up in a shelter, no one knows how many more die slow, agonizing deaths chained up in abandoned yards or locked in empty houses.

The economy is the leading cause for families having to move out of their houses. However, that does not excuse the way that animals are treated and abandoned.

“Ever since the economy started getting worse, there is a 57% increase in abandoned animals because, in some cases, when people lose their home; they abandon their pet or pets also,” explained senior Leah Espenson. Espenson is volunteering at AAARF (Auburn Area Animal Rescue Foundation) for her senior project, and she is helping put on a fundraiser for the foundation to raise money for the shelter.

Animals need care and cannot be left to “fend for themselves.” Pet owners or future pet owners should think about if they are personally ready to take on the responsibility of a pet and how much care they require, as well as deserve.   

Cassie Reeves, co-founder of AAARF and Espenson’s mentor for her senior project reflects on her experience at AAARF and her opinion on breeders:

“Many of these people are breeding solely for the money.  Many of the puppies you see in the paper are from dogs that do not receive proper pre-natal care and have genetic problems that dictate that they shouldn’t be bred in the first place,” explained Reeves.

The animals at AAARF do not get ‘put to sleep’ so they are guaranteed a life.

“The ones we take in have been given a lifeline, so they are going to be fine.  It’s all the others that we just don’t have room for that I feel badly for.  Other rescue groups are full to capacity as well so it’s a never ending battle for us,” stated Reeves. At AAARF there are 155 cats and kittens in the shelter and in the foster care system.    

People who are interested in adopting a pet should consider first that they are taking care of themselves. The pet should have a stable home with food, water and a fenced yard.

“If the pet owners are not prepared to take care of their pet or find homes for the puppies or kittens, they shouldn’t breed at all,” suggested senior Leah Espenson. The number of abandoned animals is increasing at an alarming rate that is affecting shelters all across the nation. These shelters pick up animals off the streets when some of them are half dead.

The question is: why would a person ever want to abandon an animal? For some reason, more and more pets are being neglected and deserted.

“Most of the dogs and cats at AAARF come from abandonment or abuse and one of my jobs is to socialize the animals with each other and humans,” said Espenson, who has volunteered a total of four times at AAARF and explains how it has affected her.

“It is sad when you see animals come in. One time, we had a litter of kittens that were abandoned in a box on the side of the road,” stated Espenson. Volunteering at AAARF has made Espenson rethink her whole approach to her own pets at home.

“This experience makes me appreciate my pets more and not take them for granted. There are six to eight million animals that are brought into shelters or abandoned every year in America. There are 30 million animals in the entire world. There are also an extra two million left on the streets in the United States because there aren’t enough shelters for them,” expressed Espenson.

In the state of Texas, abandoning a pet is against the law but it is difficult to catch and arrest a person doing so. Texas’ Wilberger County Deputy Jeff Case hasn’t heard of a single arrest in the past five years for abandonment.
            “It’s very difficult to catch people doing that,” he said. Beverly Pedigo, manager of the Wilberger County Humane Society, said most people abandon animals when they think they won’t get caught, and they do so mostly in the spring and summer; but all seasons are dangerous.

During the warmer months, abandoned animals may suffer from and experience dehydration, and in colder months, from hypothermia. In all weathers, they are likely to starve and are at the mercy of predators.

            “Dogs are domestic animals, and they’re used to being fed,” Pedrigo said. “There’s not many that know how to hunt still.They just wait, and some of them wait until they die, or for their owners to come back.”

            With the tough economy in America, most cities and states have experienced the sad truth that animals are being abandoned. Steps need to be taken to confirm that an individual or family is ready for a pet and the care it calls for. The rate for abandoned animals that are put in shelters can decline if everyone commits to treating animals as they would treat another human being.