The phenomenon of overpopulation in companion animals refers to the large number of abandoned domestic cats and dogs. Iguanas and other exotic animals are also frequently abandoned by owners due to their size, and to the difficulty in caring for them. In the United States alone, between 5-7,000,000 animals are brought to shelters each year. 3-4,000,000 of those animals are subsequently euthanized. This is due to the limited number of adoptions and the fact that most shelters do not have the resources for the long-term care of these animals. As a result, most humane societies, animal shelters and rescue groups urge animal caregivers to have their animals spayed or neutered to prevent the births of unwanted and accidental litters.
Read more about Overpopulation In Companion Animals: Effects Upon Animals, Purebred Preference, Organizational Impact, Global Effects
Famous quotes containing the words companion and/or animals:
“One who was my companion in my two previous excursions to these woods, tells me that ... he found himself dining one day on moose-meat, mud turtle, trout, and beaver, and he thought that there were few places in the world where these dishes could easily be brought together on one table.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“If everything is perfect, language is useless. This is true for animals. If animals don’t speak, it’s because everything’s perfect for them. If one day they start to speak, it will be because the world has lost a certain sort of perfection.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)