How to Save an Animal Life

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How to Save a Life

I remember when I was 11 years old and my dog, Happy, was sick with cancer. Since the moment we rescued Happy he was the sweetest, most energetic pet I had ever seen. He remained this way over the many years that we had him, hence, his name. I remember the day we decided it was time to let go. We took Happy to the veterinarian clinic and were taken into a little room. All four of us, my brother, my parents, and I, huddled around Happy as he was lying on the counter. The veterinarian gave us some time to spend with him alone and say our goodbyes. When she returned she asked if we were ready and gave him an injection that would take him away from this world forever. Happy was euthanized due to his illness. As terribly awful as this experience was, it was for the best. He had lived a long, healthy life and it was finally his time to go. Many animals today are being taken out of this world in the same manor that Happy did, but the only difference is that it is not their time. This is due to overpopulation in animal shelters. Death in animal shelters due to overpopulation is a problem that I believe could easily be resolved if we were to take more responsibility as pet owners. There are simply too many animals being brought into this world, and not enough space or homes for them to live. As pet owners, we need to take responsibility in the way we handle this problem.

As sad as it is, the issue of overpopulation is one that is literally deadly. "Every year, millions of cats and dogs are euthanized in our nation’s animal shelters because there are more pets than there are responsible homes for," says the American Humane Association ("Pet Overpopulation"). To give you some actual numbers, according to The Humane Soc...

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Maguire, Sharon. "Breeders vs. Rescues, Worldwide Pet Overpopulation Epidemic, Who's at Fault?" Breeders vs. Rescues, Worldwide Pet Overpopulation Epidemic, Who's at Fault? Dog Breed Info Center, n.d. Web. 29 April. 2014.

"Pet Overpopulation." Pet Overpopulation. American Humane Association, n.d. Web. 29 April. 2014.

"Pets by the Numbers." Humane Society of the United States. The Humane Society of the United States, 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.

"Pet Statistics." ASPCA. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 2014. Web. 01 May 2014.

"Why You Should Spay/Neuter Your Pet : The Humane Society of the United States." The Human Society of the United States. The Humane Society of the United States, 10 May 2013. Web. 01 May 2014.

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