The Furry Homeless

According to the Norman Animal Shelter, each day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S., but on that same day more than 70,000 puppies and kittens are born as well.

Since there are simply not enough homes for them, America has an overpopulation of homeless animals. Animals who are strays or are given up by their owners generally end up dead or in animal shelters. If lucky enough to be one of the latter, the shelters care for them as best they can and try to find good homes for them. Unfortunately, overpopulation of these animals is such a problem in the United States that it is simply impossible to care them all. Most shelters are forced to resort to euthanasia in order to control the overflow.

There are some “No Kill” shelters such as the Second Chance Animal Shelter in Norman , however these shelters still can only take in a limited amount.

According to adoptapet.com, more than 7 million adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized each year due mainly to overpopulation.

The simplest way to prevent overcrowding in animal shelters is for people to spay or neuter their pets. By fixing the animals they are no longer going to be able to birth more puppies or kittens. That will limit the amount of uncared for and neglected animals without homes.

The second way is to adopt a new pet and save two lives. Not only is the life of the pet with a new home saved, but that also creates space for another animal in the shelter who has yet to have that chance. Many of these animals are already trained and housebroken and adoption of an adult means the new owner knows just what they are getting. Virtually any breed can be found in animal shelters, and more than 25 % of the dogs are purebred according to adoptapet.com.

There is nothing inherently wrong with the animals up for adoption in a shelter. Any animal that is violent or diseased is humanely put down, leaving only loving, gentle creatures whose only misfortune was being born in the wrong place. Many of them are victims of abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Some of them simply had owners who had unrealistic expectations of time, effort, and money. Through adoption, people can help ensure these unfortunate animals live happy, healthy lives.

Click below for a glimpse inside Norman’s Pet Adoption Center:

Find a friend at the City of Norman Pet Adoption Center

Click the logo for Norman’s Second Chance Animal Sanctuary to hear employee Brook discuss the adoption process:

Click on Sonya’s picture for an introduction to one of Second Chance’s elder citizens: