Animal Woes

By Pat Hutchinson
Houlton High School
    People need to start adopting and get their pets spayed and neutered.
  The Houlton Humane Society and Hollywood Pet Salon are overloaded with homeless cats and dogs more then ever before.
    The different types of fundraisers that help support the humane society and Hollywood Pet Spa include the St. Patrick’s Day food benefit that is delivered to people by the animal shelter. All the proceeds go directly to the animal shelter. “Pet Salon” has several fundraisers throughout the year, having one on Saturday, March 20.
    Fundraisers are beneficial, but the problem is not having enough money for food and litter; it is the number of cats and dogs that are being brought in at an increasing rate and having enough room for them.  Instead of just giving greenbacks all the time, it is time people start adopting to make a dent in this problem of the overloaded amount of cats and dogs.
    Now obviously if someone in your family is allergic or has some other concern having a cat or dog then there is nothing that can be done. If you live in a household that has no allergies, then what is the harm of adopting a couple kitties? I realize dogs are more then a handful and it takes commitment when you adopt one, but there really is no downfall of at least adopting a cat and trying it out and seeing if it suits you.  If that works out, maybe you could step it up a notch and adopt a dog.
    There are some difficulties to owning a pet; it’s not just a walk in the park, although I’m sure any dog would love that. It involves changing the litter weekly, taking pets outside to do their business, cleaning their water and food dishes, and most importantly, making sure to feed them. It involves spending time with them, maybe giving them a pat every once in a while, and of course it involves money.
    The economy is not in the best shape at the moment, but a feline is not going to impact your budget too drastically. It is important that people start adopting because you are saving a life by giving a specific cat or dog a home. While the Houlton Humane Society pledges not to euthanize, the threat looms.
    In the United States alone, over ten million animals are euthanized per year based on the lack of capacity in the humane shelters. Many people find that number atrocious. If we just adopt and have our cats and dogs spayed and neutered, then this number would decrease substantially.
    People really do need to start having their pets fixed. Instead of letting cats and dogs who have yet to be fixed outdoors throughout the day and night and letting you-know-what happen, fix them immediately and the animal shelter would not be so overcrowded. Doing this is called being responsible and having common sense. If an owner of a cat or dog does act responsibly, the outcome is inevitable.  Someone will be bringing in a litter of kitties or pups they found on the streets into the animal shelter or “Pet Salon.”
    If people are looking to make a difference in this world, but not sure how, then this is a way people can make a difference:  adopt. It is that simple. You could be saving a life, or maybe two, depending on how many tails people want wagging in their home.