Faye K.

Unfortunately as good as it sounds to lobby the government to improve animal shelter conditions and to build more of them, it's a little like building more prisons to house more inmates. It would be so much better to reduce the flow of inmate animals like…
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Unfortunately as good as it sounds to lobby the government to improve animal shelter conditions and to build more of them, it's a little like building more prisons to house more inmates. It would be so much better to reduce the flow of inmate animals like it is the goal to reduce crime and therefore the prison population.

How about this for an idea...a one year moratorium on breeders. No new puppies or kittens for a single year. Then add to that a week of free spays and neuters performed all over the country by volunteer veterinarians.

Add to that an army of dog trainers and behaviorists who each dedicate 8 hours a week to adopted animals and their families to help them through the trouble spots where people throw up their hands and give up on their dog.

And finally -- to steer potential adopters to the right choice of dog for their lifestyle. Let's face it. Most people do not like to exercise and most dogs need exercise. A lot of dogs are bounced back and forth, chosen only because they were beautiful or cute, or small or young. And they did not get what they needed ... exercise -- the cure for 90% of all behavioral problems in my opinion.

Yes, it would be nice to have the government take this topic seriously and commit some funding to it annually, but the reality is that it is the people who live in this country who need to take real responsibility for their shelters by stemming the flow so that shelters are not overloaded and animals are not overlooked. Read Less