Shelter Shock

A few days ago I visited my local animal shelter. As I walked in, animal control pulled up with a trunk full of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens. It absolutely broke my heart to see these poor creatures going into a place that is, quite frankly, more harsh than where they were on the streets. It took everything inside me to not take them all home.
 

When I passed the front desk I overheard the receptionist tell someone on the phone that a certain animal was on the “kill list”. A living, breathing being has its destiny laid out on a piece of paper. This jostled my stomach.

Animal control agencies and animal shelters receive approximately 10 MILLION animals a YEAR. The workers are forced to kill on dog or cat ever 6 SECONDS. Why? Simply because of overpopulation in the shelters.

If you are searching for a new furry friend, please visit your local animal shelter first. These animals deserve more than to live in a cage and die within days. It costs U.S. taxpayers an estimated $2 billion each year to round up, house, kill, and dispose of homeless animals. Rescue a pet from this horrible situation.

For most shelters, the cost to adopt a pet includes spay/neutering. To ensure that the pet population with not over exceed, please spay/neuter your pet as quickly as possible if you haven’t already.

Pets deserve a chance or second chance at a loving, forever home just as much as humans. Save a life and adopt!

Jurnee Carr

Miss Teen International 2011

www.jurneesjourney.org