Megan Caiazzo
Motivational Speech Outline
CAS 100A
November 28, 2014
Adopt a Shelter Animal
Introduction
I. (Attention-grabber – write on chalkboard) Here’s a number for you to think about: 2.7
million. What does this mean? What does it stand for?
A. Each year, it’s estimated by the ASPCA that 7.6 million animals enter
shelters, and of these animals, 2.7 million are euthanized.
1.
(pathos) Now take a moment to think about those animals. If they’re
lucky, they find their forever home with a loving family. If they’re among
the not so fortunate, they’re doomed to spend the rest of their days in a
small cage with little human interaction until they either pass away from
natural causes or are euthanized depending on the type of shelter.
II. (orient the audience) Adopting shelter animals could decrease the number that’s
euthanized each year.
A. 2.7 million. Here’s that number again. It’s the number of animals adopted
from shelters per year according to the ASPCA.
III. (Thesis) Now that it’s clear there is a solution to lower the number of animals that are
euthanized in shelters, I would like to encourage an action that all students should
consider, adopting shelter animals.
A. (ethos) I’m a pre-vet major and work at an animal hospital back home.
B. While there, I’ve witnessed the Organization for Responsible Care of Animals,
ORCA, bring in cats to be spayed or neutered.
1. ORCA, according to their website, is an organization that operates
out of Lancaster County whose goal is to “rescue any ill, or injured, or
in-distress animal (domestic or wildlife), stray or abandoned,” and
provide information on “animal-related problems” on their AnimalAlert Hotline.
C. After the procedure was done, the cats would be picked up by an ORCA
employee and taken to a shelter.
D. This would occur at least once a week for at least two cats.
Transition: The large number of animals being sent to shelters is a direct result of animal
overpopulation.
Body
I. (Topic statement) Pet overpopulation poses a major national problem and is the
major killer of animals in the United States according to animalkind.org.
A. Animalkind.org also gives the statistic that 50,000 kittens and puppies are
born every day.
1. This adds up to 18.25 million being born per year, which is about twice
the amount of animals that enter shelters and 7 times the number of shelter
animals that are euthanized or adopted.
a. There you have it: the reason behind overpopulation.
i. More cats and dogs are born each year than the number of
animals that are euthanized in shelters.
B. You may be asking “why do shelters even euthanize animals?”
1. According to pet360, there are three types of shelters: openadmission, limited admission, and no-kill.
a. Open admission shelters euthanize animals to make room for new
ones and accept all animals.
i. They will usually send out a “death row” list of animals
that have been in the shelter for a long time in the hopes
that they will be adopted.
ii. Open admission shelters also euthanize sick animals that
could infect the rest of those in the shelter.
b. Limited admission shelters don’t euthanize based on duration of
stay or the amount of room.
i. They require some information about the animal being
surrendered, and only euthanize if the animal has severe
medical or behavioral problems.
c. No-kill shelters have a very thorough screening process for
surrendered animals and won’t accept those over a certain age or
with certain medical or behavioral problems.
i. They only look for adoptable animals because they don’t
euthanize any of them.
ii. Animals in these shelters stay until they are adopted or until
they cross the Rainbow Bridge.
Transition: Animals in shelters that aren’t adopted face living their life out behind bars in no-kill
shelters or being euthanized in limited or open admission shelters; however, there is an obvious
solution to help these animals.
II. (Topic statement) You all probably know what I’m about to say as to what you can do to
help.
A. First of all, YOU can adopt a shelter animal.
1. The adoption process is relatively easy and is similar to getting a pet from
a pet store or breeder.
2. According to the Humane Society, an application must be filled out so
the perfect pet can be found for you.
a. The application includes questions about your housing situation,
the number and ages of children if any, the number and types of
other pets, the name and contact information of your veterinarian,
previous experience with pets, and activity level, lifestyle, and
expectations for a new pet.
3. There is also an adoption fee that covers veterinary care, vaccines, a
microchip, an ID tag, and a 30-day return period, among other things.
B. In addition to adopting shelter animals, you can spread the word to family and
friends that they should do the same!
C. The ASPCA states that the American Veterinary Medical Association claims
that 40% of pet owners learned about their pet through “word of mouth.”
1. So go be that word of mouth.
a. Go tell your friends and family members that you adopted a shelter
animal and that they should do the same.
b. They just might listen to you.
Transition: The importance of going through the process of adopting a shelter animal and
convincing others to do the same can be amplified if the results of doing so are known.
III. (Topic statement) Adopting a shelter animal could be very rewarding and prove to be
beneficial to the adopter and the adopted.
A. According to the Little Buddies website, there are ten reasons to adopt an
animal from a shelter. They are as follows:
1. By adopting, you can save a life. 2.7 million animals are euthanized each
year in shelters. You can save at least one if you adopt, and more if others
adopt.
2. You won’t be supporting puppy mills or irresponsible breeders. I
mentioned the problems with puppy mills in my previous speech, and
some breeders only do it for money or don’t get their pets fixed, which
contributes to overpopulation.
3. Many shelter animals are already house trained and have been socialized.
4. Shelters can have purebred animals, too, so it’s not necessary to go to a
breeder to find one.
5. You’ll set an example for others! Currently only 20% of pet owners adopt
their “little buddies” from shelters.
6. Shelters also have kittens and puppies if you’re looking for a younger
animal.
7. You can find the one that you want: the one that is your perfect friend.
8. The adoption staff will work with you to help you find your perfect
companion, hence the reason for the adoption application.
9. Spaying and neutering are often done before adoption (ORCA).
10. Unconditional love!
a. You’ve provided that animal with its Forever Home. Think about
it: it doesn’t have to spend the rest of its life waiting to be adopted
or facing the ugly alternatives, never getting adopted and either
being euthanized or dying of natural causes in a cage after a period
of time filled with little socialization.
Conclusion
I. (Transition/ending) After hearing the benefits of adopting a shelter animal, why wouldn’t
you want to?
A. (Review) Not adopting animals from shelters will do nothing to reduce the
statistic that 2.7 million shelter animals are euthanized each year.
B. So many animals are euthanized due to pet overpopulation: more animals are born
each day than the number that’s euthanized.
1. As mentioned before, 50,000 kittens and puppies are born each day. This
is much more than the number of cats and dogs that are euthanized in
shelters.
C. The simple task of adopting a shelter animal YOURSELF and convincing family
and friends to do the same will benefit both the adopter and the adopted.
II. I challenge all of you to go out to a local shelter, pick your perfect little buddy, and give
it all the love and affection it deserves.
A. Give your new pet a Forever Home, a second chance at life, and unconditional
love.
B. Imagine knowing you have a loving pet waiting for you at home, and as soon as
you walk in that door, it’s waiting there either wagging its tail or purring, so
excited to see you since it was waiting all day for you to come home.
C. Now go make that scene a reality!
Works Cited
"Pet Statistics." ASPCA. ASPCA, 2014. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://www.aspca.org/aboutus/faq/pet-statistics>.
"About ORCA." ORCA. ORCA - Organization for Responsible Care of Animals, 2012. Web. 29
Nov. 2014. <http://www.orcarescue.org/about.php>.
"AnimalKind.org: Pet Overpopulation: The Facts." AnimalKind.org: Pet
Overpopulation: The Facts. IONA interactive, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
<http://animalkind.org/pet_overpopulation>.
"Kill Shelters vs. Low Kill and No Kill Shelters." Kill Shelters vs. No Kill Shelters. Pet 360 Inc.,
2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://www.pet360.com/dog/adoption/kill-shelters-vs-lowkill-and-no-kill-shelters/eC_zmPaWME-mF0Gn95SijQ#>.
"The Adoption Process: What to Expect : The Humane Society of the United States." The
Humane Society of the United States. The Humane Society of the United States, 2014.
Web. 29 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/adopt/tips/adoption_process_what_expect.html#>
"Adoption Fees." Animal Humane Society. Animal Humane Society, 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/adopt/adoption-fees>.
"Advantages." Advantages. Little Buddies Adoption and Humane Society, 2003. Web. 29 Nov.
2014. <http://www.littlebuddies.org/advantages.htm>.