Animals are being turned away from what people would call their last resort. Animal shelters is a place where animals go when they are homeless, abandoned, surrendered, and many other reasons. Animal shelters can mean the difference between having a home or living on the streets. The economy, losing animals, animals as fashion statements, buying animals on impulse, and commercial breeding has made an increase of animals in shelters. Shelters can no longer bring in new animals because they are filled to max capacity. Animal shelters have recommended many solutions to overcrowding: spaying and neutering, microchipping, keeping animals inside, asking for help, and adopting will help decrease the number of animals in shelters. With all the recommendations …show more content…
Different animals have different needs depending on the species and even the breed within the species. Some dogs require more grooming if they have a long coat; while, other dogs require extra exercise to burn off energy. Other animals live longer while some may need more or less attention. Alison M. Jiménez, director of media and communications at ASPCA, says, “Most pets can live upwards of 15 to 20 years, depending on species and health conditions, meaning this pet will be around for a long time" (Steber). Marge Stein, a spokeswoman for North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington, N.Y., says, “Honestly if you're on a fixed income and you have to struggle to get by, to feed yourself, you should not have a pet. Food for pets can add up. You must be honest with thyself” (Robinson). All of these different needs should be considered before picking an animal. Some of these requirements will not fit into individual lifestyles and will make the animal and the owner miserable. For example, a husky needs to have time to run and exercise. If they do not get this, they can become destructive. This can lead owners to surrender their pet because they are lashing out because their needs are not being met. Owners should do extensive research before they decide on a forever