Tackling the tough issue

They are more than numbers on a report.

Those of us who have to look at these reports understand this fully.

They represent dogs and cats, puppies and kittens and other animals who were euthanized at local shelters.

Many were someone's pet.

They had a loving home at one time.

There are a variety of reasons given when they were turned in to a shelter.

According to research conducted by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, the top five reasons why dogs are surrendered to shelters are the owners are moving, issues with landlords, cost of caring for the dog, no time for the dog and inadequate facilities to care for them.

Cats are most often surrendered because they had too many in the house, allergies, moving, cost of pet care or landlord issues.

The frustrating thing is that many of these issues were preventable if the owner had done their homework before taking on the responsibility of owning a pet.

Other animals that end up at local shelters were simply born in the wild and never will even get the chance to know what a home is.

They were born from a feral cat or from a mother dog that was allowed to roam the countryside without being spayed.

Just about every single day, the local animal control department gets a call that puppies or kittens were found under someone's house, in their back yard or wandering down the street and need to be picked up.

The sad reality is that more animals come in that can be adopted out each year.

Euthanasia is the final end for too many of these great dogs and cats. Ask anyone who has ever worked at an animal shelter and they will likely have sad stories to share.

For those of us who do work or volunteer with any animal welfare organization, these "numbers" are a big part of what motivates us.

It doesn't matter if you are with an open admissions shelter, a no-kill shelter, breed rescue or just someone who finds homes for the occasional stray you come across, we all hope for a day when this senseless situation is over.

What, as a society, do we need to do?

Education is the key. People need to understand the impact of unaltered animals running loose in the community.

Spaying and neutering is the best remedy for pet overpopulation.

The programs are out there, with spay/neuter and veterinarian clinics throughout our area just waiting to help.

If you want to get a pet, consider adoption over buying a pet from a flea market or from some online ad.

There are nearly 275,000 homeless dogs and pets nationally just on www.petfinder.org alone.

The other keys are patience and planning.

Remember, the new puppy needs socialization, house-training and routine medical care.

There are plenty of people out there to help provide the tools necessary for creating a well mannered dog that will be a truly loved member of your family.

Proper planning is necessary, too.

Moving with your pet is easier than ever. More landlords are open to the idea, especially in a tough rental market.

Use the Internet to help find those pet-friendly rentals, too.

You took the responsibility of pet ownership when you brought the cat or dog home. If you move, your pet needs to move with you.

The final important part of the puzzle is to get involved.

If you can't adopt, volunteer. If you don't have time to volunteer, donate to an animal welfare group in your area.

Educate yourself on the issues in the animal welfare world.

The reward you'll get in saving lives is like no other reward you could imagine.

To learn more, call the SPCA at 648-6863 or visit www.aikenspca.org.