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Furry friends deserve homes
By Emile Hallez
ehallez@mscd.edu

Seven million of them are born every year in the United States. Although some are documented, most are not. Not one is eligible for citizenship or a green card. None will learn to speak English, and inadequate fencing continues to exacerbate the problem.

I’m speaking about dogs and cats.

Pet overpopulation is one of this country’s silent shames. In a given year an estimated three to four million cats and dogs are euthanized at animal shelters. That’s roughly 10,000 per day.
If those numbers are disturbing, then what we’re doing about the problem is even worse.

Only 18 percent of dogs and 16 percent of cats in U.S. households come from shelters. Far more come from breeders, puppy mills and pet shops. While prospective buyers form a queue behind the faux-eugenicists we call breeders, over half the animals that enter shelters leave without a pulse.

The American glut for pure puppies needs to stop. Puppy mills are poorly regulated. Purebred animals lack the genetic variability of their “mutt” counterparts and are consequently at elevated risk for major health problems.

Almost always overcrowded, these production plants cram their canine inhabitants into cells, subject them to a life of forced reproduction and steal their babies. If such dogs don’t end up in pet shops, they may be sold to laboratories, where they live short, excruciating lives. Every time you support a breeder or pet store, you are supporting the manufacture of sentient beings and forgoing the chance to save a life.

If any of this upsets you, consider National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, Nov. 5-11, as a catalyst for action.

If you have a dog or cat that hasn’t been spayed or neutered, watch the last 10 seconds of the game show The Price Is Right for a special message about this simple procedure.

If you don’t already have an animal in your life, consider adopting one. Pets can reduce stress and lower blood pressure in their owners. More importantly, saving an animal’s life is fertile ground for a new friendship.

Support local no-kill animal shelters. These animal safe houses are the essence of humanity, and supporting them is vital to combating the plague of puppy killing. Unlike traditional shelters, which kill animals via injection or subject them to slow deaths in gas chambers, true no-kill shelters keep animals until they find homes.

Matt Adams, the volunteer coordinator for MaxFund, is looking for a few good men and women. As one of the few no-kill shelters in Colorado, MaxFund is run by about 10 paid staff members and a pool of around 600 volunteers. Because the shelter receives no government funding, it is heavily dependent on these volunteers, Adams says.

MaxFund is in need of dog walkers and trainers, animal bathers and groomers, veterinary and adoptions assistants, publicity and marketing personnel and clerical workers. Volunteers attend a one-time orientation before working and a subsequent dog-walking class if they want to take any of the animals on a walk around town.

Perhaps more than anything, the shelter just needs people to spend time with the animals. Petting and playing with dogs and cats is not only soothing for humans, Adams said, but it’s also an important part of the socialization process that helps animals adjust to the shelter and their future homes.

If you can’t find the time to volunteer, consider making a donation. MaxFund has a five-gallon jug in the lobby that would make a better home for loose change than the bowels of your sofa. All donations to the shelter are tax deductible.

The homeless animals of the world need your help. If you’re too busy to give them your time this semester, take a day off from ski trips, Captain Kangaroo reruns or whatever you’re doing during winter break to help make life a little better for our furry cohorts.

For more information on how you can help, go to http://maxfundvolunteers.org or call (303) 595-4917.