Every year, approximately 2.7 million dogs and cats are murdered in U.S. shelters. Some are lucky to live in a no-kill shelter, but sadly most end up in a shelter, where un-adopted animals are exterminated, with no voice to speak up with or a voice to speak up for them. These feeble, vulnerable, and defenseless animal lives are taken away due to lack of adoptions. Three to four million dogs and cats are unfairly stripped of their lives every single year due to overcrowded shelters filling up with droopy, depressed animals locked away in small cages.

Adopting is very important, because if no one is willing to care for any of these loving animals, they will be silently slaughtered. Shaking in the back of a cold hard cage, an animal waits for a caring person to whisk them away to a home, a real home. That animal sits day after day, hoping that today will be the day that will change their life. Sometimes their life does change, but not for the better. Locked in a chilly, metal room, a tender, gentle, adoptable pet is murdered. Any one can save a life, change a story, and give these animals a second chance.

Adopting, donating, and volunteering are all ways to improve an animal’s life, forever. Local animal shelters, like the Forsyth County Humane Society, love to receive new volunteers, dog or cat food, toys, and especially adoptions.

Adopting a cat or dog is allowing that special little animal to have a new, wonderful opportunity. Although new pets require love and affection, they also have other needs such as a daily walk, feeding, providing water and care, toys to play with and an area to run around, are all crucially important. Adopting is not just simply buying a new pet, adoption is a gift, born to those adopting and to the animal being adopted.

Some people cannot adopt because of lack of time, money, or ability. Other alternatives, like volunteering, are great ways to become involved. Volunteering is a non-profit way to contribute to the needy animals in communities. Cleaning kennels, bathing the animals, or spending time with the animals are some of the tasks that may be requested of the volunteers.

Donations are always welcomed, needed and much appreciated. Donations can be sent or transferred to a shelter of the donator’s choice. The Forsyth County Humane Society has many options as far as where the money donated goes, like the special needs medical fund, spay and neuter fund, donating shelter supplies, and so many other choices.

Strongly consider adopting, donating, or volunteering today and make a difference in providing a second chance for needy animals.

_____________

Works Cited:

Do Something.org. 11 Facts About Animal Homelessness. Web. 11 November 2013. The Humane Society. Pet Overpopulation, 2013. Web. 11 November 2013.