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Briana Corley
4/30/2011
Jen Bray
Composition two
Overpopulation of Domesticated Animals
According to Webster online overpopulation means,” the condition of having a
population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life,
or a population crash.” the word domesticated according to Webster means,” to adapt
(an animal or plant) to life in intimate association with and to the advantage of
humans”.
Pet overpopulation occurs when there are more domestic cats and dogs than there
are people who want them as pets. (Sexton Jenifer, Tom Warhol 1) The first
organization helping the issue started in 1866, the American Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was founded in New York City by Henry Bergh. Henry
Bergh witnessed cruelty to the city's working horses and founded the ASPCA. The
problems with canines and humans in urban areas became so problematic in the cities
that a pound was established. So many stray dogs existed in New york that between July
and August 1867, the dogcatchers of New York caught 5,825 dogs, which were then
placed into crates and lowered into the East River to drown. The animal activist were,
“Appalled at the harsh conditions and inhumane treatment at government-run animal
facilities. They believed that private nonprofit organizations concerned for animal
welfare could do a better job sheltering homeless animals” says points of view reference
center. Local governments did not resist, and handed over the responsibility of
sheltering homeless animals to growing numbers of private animal welfare societies. By
1876, there were twenty-seven humane societies across the United States; the ASPCA
was placed in control of New York City's animal control responsibilities. By the early
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Briana Corley
4/30/2011
Jen Bray
Composition two
Overpopulation of Domesticated Animals
1900s, at least thirty-six private, nonprofit animal well-being societies sheltered, fed and
cared for stray dogs and cats.(Sexton Jenifer, Tom Warhol 1)
Domesticated animals are over populating our communities because of
irresponsible breeding and over commercialism of the animals; this problem can be
solved if there were laws requiring the spraying and neutering of pets unless you obtain
a breeding license. The law would count for those people who buy from pet stores or
from other dealers. Animal shelters would be excluded because as an effort to lower the
population of domesticated animals they already spray and neuter the animals before
allowing them to be adopted. The law would encourage adopting rather than buying
because the commercialism of pets kills the animals in the shelters. According to Peta ,
6 to 8 million dogs and cats enter animal shelters—and half of them must be euthanized
because there aren't enough homes for them. (Lance Bass Promotes Animal Adoption)
Every dog or cat purchased from a pet store or breeder takes a home away from an
adoptable animal that’s been waiting in a shelter. Many would defend the buying from
pet stores saying that they want a pure breed. When many of the shelter animals are
pure breed that were abandoned and these people don’t know that whenever you buy
you support puppy mills that breed for profit not concern for animals.(Lance Bass
Promotes Animal Adoption)
Due to the problem of overpopulation of strays our communities are full of
neglected, homeless, and non-sprayed or neutered animals. Non sprayed pets are big
cause of the overpopulation of animals. The average female cat can produce two litters
of six kittens per year, and a female dog can produce one litter of six or more puppies
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Briana Corley
4/30/2011
Jen Bray
Composition two
Overpopulation of Domesticated Animals
per year, making pet overpopulation a significant problem.(Sexton Jenifer, Tom Warhol
1) If the law requiring a breeding license existed than many of these unwanted animals
wouldn’t exist.
Due mainly to human negligence, millions of domestic animals are abandoned
each year, resulting in homeless domestic animals which become a threat to wildlife and
human health and safety. It is the pet owner’s responsibility to spray or neuter if they’re
not prepared to take care of the new offspring. During the process of domestication,
breeders choose animals with an increased ability for creating offspring. While many
wild animal populations breed only during specific seasons or when environmental
circumstances are suitable, domestic animals breed year-round and will procreate young
regardless of the obtainability of resources. (Issitt Micah, David Morely3) Without the
sense of a breeding time these animals will populate as often as they like if neglected
and without proper care the number will climb higher than there are homes for
them.(Companion animal overpopulation)The reason these homeless population of
dogs and cats are able to grow quickly is because they can feed on waste food and find
shelter in city and residential surroundings. The availability of food and shelter,
combined with the lack of natural predators, frees homeless domestic animals to focus
their time on breeding. (Issitt Micah, David Morely3) Which adds to the problem
because these stray babies will grow up on the streets or end up in a local animal shelter
where they have a high possibility of getting euthanasia because of lack of adopters.
Euthanasia is the humane killing of an individual animal, usually through the
administration of a lethal injection. (Sexton Jenifer, Tom Warhol1)
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Briana Corley
4/30/2011
Jen Bray
Composition two
Overpopulation of Domesticated Animals
Stray cats are a threat to wildlife. If there were less stray cats on the streets and in our
communities than the native birds and other animals would have healthier populations.
According to Peta the American Bird Conservancy guesstimates that,” free-roaming cats kill
millions of birds and small mammals in the U.S. every year, including endangered species
such as the least tern and the piping plover”. (Feral Cats)The American Bird Conservancy
states that,” scientists estimate that every year in the United States alone, cats kill hundreds of
millions of birds, and more than a billion small mammals, including rabbits, squirrels, and
chipmunks.”(Cats indoors)
Stray animals affect our health domesticated animals are subtle to rabies, viruses, fleas, ticks and
intestinal worms. (Issitt Micah, David Morely3)Rabies is deadly to humans, most people die
from cardiac arrest or respiratory failure within a short period after onset of illness.( Questions
and Answers about Rabies) Once a animal shows signs of rabies it should be euthanasia
immediately. But with these animals being homeless they’re less likely to be caught in time
before other animals or humans have caught it. If we let the population of domesticated animals
get out of hand than handling a rabies outbreak would be almost impossible because we wouldn’t
be able to catch all those infected in a timely manner.
The best way to spread awareness is by doing an exposé showing the effects overpopulation
has on our communities. The documentary should show many animals shelters and a couple
of clips of some animals being given euthanasia. Then some footage of animals being bought
from a pet store right next to the euthanasia clips. This documentary would make people think
before the general public buy and at the end of the documentary I would have a generalization
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Briana Corley
4/30/2011
Jen Bray
Composition two
Overpopulation of Domesticated Animals
of the law proposed with an image of a puppy in the background along with some information
of animal shelter and clinics giving the birth control operations for a discount or free. This
would be the best way to introduce the idea of the law and explain its purpose. The video
would also spread awareness of overpopulation of domesticated animals showing a direct way
that the general public can help.
Based upon my research I have concluded that the law proposed would help reduce
overpopulation of domesticated animals by spreading awareness to issue. While at the same
time forcing pet owners to be responsible for their own pets breeding, if more pet owners
were responsible and informed about how their pets breeding affected the world around them
than there would be less unwanted animals around helping our communities as well as the
native diversity in our local ecosystems.
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Briana Corley
4/30/2011
Jen Bray
Composition two
Overpopulation of Domesticated Animals
Works Cited
Faulkner, L. C. (1975). Contraceptive Technology in Controlling Reproduction in Pets.
American Journal of Public Health, 65(1), 77-78. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Issitt, Micah, and David C. Morley. "Counterpoint: Domestic Animal Overpopulation Leads to
Ecological Destruction." Points of View: Domestic Animal Overpopulation (2009): 3. Points of
View Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 30 Apr. 2011.
Sexton, Jennifer, and Tom Warhol. "Domestic Animal Overpopulation: An Overview." Points of
View: Domestic Animal Overpopulation (2009): 1. Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO.
Web. 30 Apr. 2011.
Feral Cats | PETA.org." People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): The
Animal Rights Organization | PETA.org. Peta. Web. 01 May 2011.
<http://www.peta.org/issues/Companion-Animals/Feral-Cats.aspx>.
"Cats Indoors." American Bird Conservancy - Home. ABC. Web. 01 May 2011.
<http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/index.html>.
"Rabies Questions and Answers Page." North Dakota Department of Health. Web. 02
May 2011. <http://www.ndhealth.gov/disease/Rabies/QandA.htm>.
"Lance Bass Promotes Animal Adoption | PETA.org." People for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals (PETA): The Animal Rights Organization | PETA.org. Web. 02 May 2011.
<http://www.peta.org/features/Lance-Bass-Promotes-Animal-Adoption.aspx>.