How you can stop pet overpopulation

(Editor’s Note: David Blakesley is a Franklin native and Northwestern State University Vet Tech program student)
By DAVID BLAKESLEY, MIRANDA SANDERS AND JACOB SOENKSEN
Millions of cats and dogs go unclaimed and are placed into shelters yearly. Many shelters can only have those animals for a few weeks before they will have to be euthanized to make space for more homeless animals.
This sad fate can be prevented with the help of the community. With the simple procedure of spaying or neutering of your pets you can help put an end to this epidemic.
About the Procedures: When it comes to spaying, this sterilizing surgery is performed on female pets and is the removal of the animals reproductive tract, its ovaries and uterus. With neutering it’s the removal of a male animal’s testicles. These surgeries prevent the animals from physically reproducing. The cost of this “snip” varies depending on the area. In the city of Franklin, the local animal hospital can do these surgeries along with other places in nearby cities.
Though spay and neuter are the ideal way to help stop overpopulation, it isn’t the only way. For those who can’t afford the procedure but still would like to help there is adoption from an animal shelter.
The animal shelter here in St. Mary Parish has an abundance of cats and dogs. The shelter, like many others, has a plethora of cats in particular and keeps them only a few weeks before having to euthanize them to make room for the new arrivals. Some shelters even spay or neuter the animal before you adopt it.
Adoption fees can be as small as $25 or be in the hundreds of dollars depending on the amount of medical attention the once homeless or abused animal has received. Adopting a single animal from a shelter can save and change an animal’s life and maybe even your own.
If you are unable to do this as well just helping at an animal shelter periodically and promoting the animals at the shelter will help. If you put an animal from the shelter in the public’s eye, then that animal’s chance of adoption will be increased even if it’s slight. One simple action by a human can save many animals’ lives, whether it be adoption, spay or neuter of the pet, or simply volunteering to help animals in need.
About 7.6 million companion animals will be put in a shelter every year with the staggering number of 2.7 million being euthanized according to aspca.org
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals only about 2.7 million of the 7.6 million are adopted. This shows the sad reality that more animals are euthanized than adopted.