Pets are often gifts or adopted because they are
cute. Then after they grow up, they can be too big
or hard to care for. Many apartment owners don't
allow pets, so the owner has little choice but to
take the pet to a shelter when they move. Some
end up in shelters due to the owers dieing or having
to move to a nursing home.
Many times during natural disasters pets are ost
and end up as strays. Fortuantly people try to collect
lost pets after desasters and try to find their owners.
The sad thing is so many pets are never fixed to keep
them from repoducing like rabbits. Homeless shelters
are always hard up for funding. I am sure most do
what they can to find homes for those they accept.
I know one shelter that even asks people to provide
foster homes to for those they haven't room for. They
also fix all those who are adopted out. A local TV station
gives them tv time each week to remind the public of
their need.
Still even with all the faults it's better to drop an unwanted
pet off at a shelter . Dumping them at the side of the road
is even worse. Pets have little or no idea how to survive on
their own, and usually suffer and die from hunger, thirst,
or exposure. Even hit by traffic or killed by preditors. Two
legged or four.
It might be better to have the pet put to sleep professionally
if the local shelter is full, or a local city animal control shelter
where they kill the pet after a few days. You never can tell
with city shelters. Many times the workers have llittle
compashion for the animal. They may have little or no training
in handleing animals humanely or even care.
Times have changed though. Many commuinities have laws
to protect animals from abuse. Some people honestly try
to care for strays and end up not having the money to
care for them. So sometimes the state has to rescue
them. In my area I have seen several reports of such
things. Animals practically dead or dead from starvation.
Living in filth. They have found homes full of cats dead
and alive. Smelling so bad it would almost be better to
burn the place.
People that wish to help animals should support shelters
where and how they can. Not try to setup one of their own.
There is a lot more to running a animal shelter than putting
food and water out for them.
