Shelters and Rescues

Watching Sarah McLachlan singing ¨Silent Night¨ with abused, malnourished dogs and cats cowering in the corner of a dirty cage is a commercial that most people recognize. The ASPCA put out these commercials to promote adoption from an animal shelter. Animal shelters are places for animals to go when they don't have a home. They might have been strays, their owners could not keep them, or any number of other reasons. Shelters, breeders, and pet stores are all places where animals are adopted or sold to people. Animal shelters have some glaring disadvantages compared to the other two options. Most people avoid shelters because they think that any animal they get from there would be ‘faulty’ or aggressive. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy. By leaving animals in the shelter and letting them become overcrowded and underfunded, disease and stress spread. Good, adoptable animals have to be put down due to stress-induced aggression, illness, and a lack of space.

Obviously beneficial to the animal, is it also beneficial to the individual to choose to get their pets from an animal shelter as opposed to somewhere else? Adopting animals from animal shelters is beneficial to both the animal and the new owner because it reduces risk of illness often found in shelters, keeps otherwise healthy and adoptable animals from being euthanized, and is a financially smart option regarding mandatory vaccinations and medical operations.

Adopting animals from shelters reduces the risk of spreading illnesses commonly found in shelters. It is no secret that disease is a dangerous thing. Illnesses from the flu to cancer affect people everyday. Disease is spread in a number of ways, such as direct contact with bacteria, parasites, or even airborne transmission. USA Today said, “The speed of the spread of infectious agents depends on the presence of a densely populated community...” (“Why Diseases Spread”). This means that a crowded area is more likely to spread diseases faster than in a less densely populated area. These illnesses often affect the lungs. Respiratory diseases are made worse by damp, dirty, or cold places, as they negatively affect breathing. Animal shelters are usually all of these things.

Continually, this holds true for animals as well. An article by Alexandra Protopopova concurred with this statement, saying, “...the shelter provide(s) an ideal setting for disease transmission, with dog’s housed in close proximity to each other...” (Protopopova). For the purposes of efficiency, the cages in a shelter are placed close together. This helps with cleaning them and with space management. Dogs and cats are able to sniff each other between the enclosures. Additionally, it is not uncommon for cats or small dogs to share cages. Having the animals so close together makes it safe to predict that more animals will get sick. The more animals that get sick, the more animals that have to be put down, and the less chance of disease free animals finding homes. Most shelters are unable to provide the funds or the staff required to nurse animals back to health when the chances of them dying are large anyway. In kittens, nursing them back to health requires 24 hour care.

Another type of illness found in shelters are intestinal diseases. Parvo, or Canine Parvovirus, is one of these diseases. Affecting the digestive tract, parvo symptoms include horrible vomiting with blood, exhaustion, and loss of appetite, sometimes to the point of anorexia (Cardenas). Mostly affecting puppies up to 6 months old, the virus drains the life out of these dogs by taking the nutrients and water from their bodies. Slowly and painfully, the puppy wastes away until they die, either naturally or through euthanasia. However, the virus does not just leave. Parvo can live without a host in the ground or a concrete floor for at least up to a year, retaining the ability to get more animals sick. Parvo is spread by contact with another infected animal’s vomit, urine, or feces. Dogs who are in cages next to each other need only to touch noses and that could give an otherwise healthy dog a deadly disease.

As shelters often house unvaccinated puppies close together, parvo outbreaks are common in the kennels. Preventing outbreaks of diseases like parvo depend on getting animals vaccinated. The funds for this come from the adoption of the animals. The initial adoption fee helps pay for the animal to get the vaccines that could save their life and the lives of other animals that they come into contact with. As much as they try, and they do try, shelter staff are often helpless to stop the spread of diseases like this. The staff do what they can, but with limited resources, their hands are tied. If well-funded, a shelter can receive veterinary care using I.V. fluids and antibiotics. Even this treatment option is unreliable at best.

Furthermore, by adopting animals from a shelter, or rescue, the risk of disease plummets dramatically. This decreases the number of animals in the shelter and gives financial assistance to help with those that do become ill. Animals are able to get the vaccines they need, are able to live outside in an illness-friendly environment, and live longer, happier, and healthier lives.

Moreover, adopting from a shelter keeps otherwise healthy and adoptable animals from being euthanized for overcrowding. One of the most common stereotypes of animal shelters is that they are always full to the brim, overloaded with animals. Unfortunately, this stereotype is well-founded. It is no secret that animal shelters are often very overcrowded. Instead, it is something that people ignore. Ignoring this problem though, does not make it go away.

For example, Angela Garcia, speaking on overcrowding in shelters stated that, ¨...at times four or five dogs would be housed together in one cage of about six by eight feet¨ (Garcia). Obviously, this isn't healthy for the dogs. Another issue lies in how the shelter is forced to address the problem. The only way to free up cages in the shelter is to either get a lot of animals adopted or euthanize as many as needed. Staff can only do so much to get the dogs and cats adopted, so that leaves them with putting the animals to sleep. The same article states that, ¨Although less than ideal in terms of living conditions, this decision was preferable to euthanizing adoptable dogs¨ (Garcia). The staff was left with the unfortunate choice of unhealthy living conditions and euthinasia for their animals. Georgina Inwood outright said, ¨In developed countries, euthanasia of dogs and cats in animal shelters is the primary cause of death for healthy and treatable companion animals¨ (Inwood). These are animals that sit in a loud shelter with little attention and are terrified before they ultimately get killed. The shelter staff have no choice, the animals have no choice, and the money, or lack thereof, provides no other options.

Statistically, ¨6.5 million dogs and cats enter shelters across the United States of America (USA) each year, and that 1.5 million are euthanized¨ (Inwood). This is almost 25% of all animals that enter shelters. It is a staggering and upsetting number, but one that provides clarity. This is not a minor inconvenience, this is a real problem. Millions of animals have been euthanized when there is something that can be done to stop it. Barriers to rehoming healthy and friendly cats include too many cats to rehome, second only after a lack of funding (Inwood). Getting animals out of these conditions would be better for the health and safety of everyone involved. These problems are not going to go away. In order to fix it though, animals need to be adopted or shelters need to get more funding.

Lastly, adopting animals from animal shelters is beneficial to both the animal and the new owner because it is a financially smart option regarding mandatory vaccinations and medical operations. Animals are expensive. This is just a fact. Taking care of an animal entails buying them, feeding them, keeping them healthy, cleaning up after them, and much more. Anything that will help lower the cost of taking care of animals is helpful. By adopting an animal from a shelter, the medical cost is greatly reduced.

Some vaccines are required by law. This is to keep people safe. A rabies vaccine is one of these, as it can be deadly. It can also be expensive. An article in the Chicago Tribune wrote, “Rabies vaccination costs are $25-$100.00 plus a county tag fee in some areas” (Community…). Rabies is just one example of a mandatory vaccine. Paying many different fees and taxes quickly becomes very expensive. Vaccines are not even the only required medical costs that the owner of the animal has to pay. Spaying or neutering an animal means that they are operated on to remove their reproductive organs. This operation is mandatory because of many reasons, a main one being the amount of strays that come from intact house pets. Another article wrote, “While the cost to spay a cat varies, the operation typically runs from $300 to $500 for a female cat and around $200 for a male...¨ (Miller). These are expensive costs, and the law requires them to be paid. Rarely do people just have hundreds of dollars lying around. However, a lot of shelters will include mandatory medical, such as vaccinations and spay/neuter operations, in their adoption fee. This means that, when the animal is adopted, a voucher is sent to a vet’s office or home with the adopter for a reduced, or sometimes free, bill.

Additionally, the operation part of the medical ventures are healthier for the animals too. They are known to prevent diseases such as testicular cancer in male cats and pyometra in females. Pyometra is an infection in the uterus, which only affects intact female cats (Miller). Getting these operations done not only decreases the amount of strays on the streets, it also saves lives by working to prevent disease and infection. That is why these medical vaccinations matter. If they need to be done, taking the cheapest route to do so is the smartest thing to do.

Conversely, some people say that, the more money spent on an animal, the better a life the owner will give them, along with a reduced risk of giving them up. This has been proven false. In an article about an animal's place in the family, it reads “...adopting a cat for free as opposed to paying an adoption fee does not affect the level of attachment to the cat or level of care provided to the cat after the adoption¨ (Garcia 292). There is no promise of additional care or love because of a higher price. Spending thousands on a pure-bred kitten or a hundred dollars on a shelter cat makes no difference for the overall life and happiness the cat is going to have.

Financially and logically, adopting an animal from the shelter when looking for a pet is the responsible thing to do. Adding up operation costs, initial adoption/buying fees, and state-mandatory vaccinations looks like much too large a price when compared to the shelters alternative. With the benefits of taking an animal out of the shelter included, it makes sense that adoption is the decision to make when looking for a pet.

To recapitulate, adopting animals from animal shelters is beneficial to both the animal and the new owner because it reduces risk of illness often found in shelters, keeps otherwise healthy and adoptable animals from being euthanized, and is a financially smart option regarding mandatory vaccinations and medical operations. It is the smartest choice for pet owners, new and old. Reducing illness in the shelter will save money and relieve shelter staff of the stress that comes with taking care of sick cats and dogs. Euthanasia rates are high, too high, and if there is something that can be done, it should be. Letting problems remain unaddressed doesn't make them go away, it just makes the problems worse. Financially, adoption is the best option, ensuring that the animal is taken care of well while being fiscally responsible. Everyone wants what is best for the animals in their communities.

These shelter animals deserve to feel safe and loved. Just because the stereotypes around shelters are typical does not mean that they are true, or that they can not be rectified. Even people who have nothing to do with animals should understand what is happening in their communities. It is their community that is being affected. It is their community that should be aware of the problems and possible solutions. These animals matter and it is so important for people to recognize this.

Works Cited

Cardenas, Cecilia de. “Parvo in Dogs.” PetMD, 8 October 2008, Reviewed 4 March 2020. https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_dg_canine_parvovirus_infection. Accessed 6 October 2020.

CDC. ¨How to Prevent the Spread of Respiratory Illnesses in Disaster Evacuation Centers¨. Center for Disease and Control Prevention, NCEH, ATSDR, NCIPC, OPHPR, 29 January 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/disease/respiratoryic.html. Accessed 25 September.

Community Contributor Northern Illinois Cat Clinic. ¨How Much Do Vaccines Cost For A Cat¨. Chicago Tribune, 20 May, 2015. https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/libertyville/chi-ugc-article-how-much-do-vaccinations-cost-for-a-cat-2015-05-20-story.html. Accessed 24 September 2020.

Garcia, Angela Cora. “The Place of the Dog in the Family.” Society & Animals, vol. 24, no. 3, May 2016, pp. 289–309. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1163/15685306-12341411. http://search.ebscohost.com.lili.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=116496942&site=ehost-live&custid=s8499241. Accessed 23 September 2020.

Inwood, Georgina, et al. “Strategies to Reduce the Euthanasia of Impounded Dogs and Cats Used by Councils in Victoria, Australia.” Animals (2076-2615), vol. 8, no. 7, July 2018, p. 100. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3390/ani8070100. http://search.ebscohost.com.lili.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=131198497&site=ehost-live&custid=s8499241. Accessed on 24 September 2020.

Llama Admin. ¨Anatomy of the Canine Respiratory System.¨ Easy Anatomy, 3 August 2018. https://easy-anatomy.com/anatomy-of-the-canine-respiratory-system/. Accessed 25 September 2020.

Miller, Lynne. ¨How Much Does It Cost To Spay A Cat¨. PetMD, PetMD Editorial. 29 February, 2016. https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/evr_ct_how-much-does-it-cost-to-spay-a-cat. Accessed 24 September 2020.

Protopopova, Alexandra, et al. “Behavioral Predictors of Subsequent Respiratory Illness Signs in Dogs Admitted to an Animal Shelter.” PLoS ONE, vol. 14, no. 10, Oct. 2019, pp. 1–21. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0224252. http://search.ebscohost.com.lili.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=139268962&site=ehost-live&custid=s8499241. Accessed on 19 September 2020.

“Why Diseases Spread.” USA Today Magazine, vol. 121, no. 2573, Feb. 1993, p. 10. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9302190560&site=ehost-live.http://search.ebscohost.com.lili.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9302190560&site=ehost-live&custid=s8499241. Accessed 25 September 2020.