I Can't Change The World- Dogs and Cats

Start with microchipping every single dog or cat that's born, so far as that is possible. This makes strays findable and helps to reduce the problem of designer animal theft (it happens). It also means that people would be accountable if their unaltered dogs or cats were out roaming the streets - which means the number of outdoor cats in particular would start to drop.

Yes, there will still be plenty of outdoor animals, and they'll have to be rounded up and, sadly, a lot of them will be euthanized. It's still a better ending than being hit by a car or becoming dog fight bait. I say this as a big-time animal lover, I might add.

Make spaying and neutering free. Make altered animals free from shelters, with pet food companies stepping up with serious coupons for food, treats, apparel (collars, leashes, and coats), toys, and beds. Quite simply, make it far more attractive to own an altered animal than an unaltered one. The only people who should have unaltered animals should be breeders and show animal owners and handlers. Yes, this means spaying and neutering every mutt in the land, unless they suddenly turn into the next fad, e. g. the labradoodle. And then labradoodles can be treated the same way as currently recognized breeds - altered unless being bred by a reputable breeder, or being shown.

In the meantime, also, work with breed rescues. Insist on laws that require breeder licensing and inspections, in order to shut down as many puppy mills as possible. Animal hoarders should go to jail. Backyard breeders should be fined. Like I said, turn this economic. As it is right now, there are dogs roaming free on the streets of Houston because there's a culture there where people get tired of their puppy and send him or her out to face the world once the poor dog starts chewing (about 12 - 18 months for most dogs).The females end up pregnant while the males end up aggressive, and everyone gets a fair shot at being hit by a car.

All over, everywhere I have ever lived, I have seen outdoor cats. Make it harder to have an outdoor cat. Cats that live outdoors don't live as long as cats that live indoors. If cats were forced to live indoors, people would be a lot more likely to spay and neuter them, in order to avoid spraying, yowling, and all the other fun that comes from animals going into season.

All of these proposals would reduce pet populations significantly. And I would hope it would change some attitudes. We had a female pit bull for a while, a beautiful dog. Lots of people in our neighborhood suggested we breed her. We had her spayed. That should be the rule for most female pets, not the exception.

This is wonderful.

Where can we start to implement this proposal?

Maybe if we can bring awareness to one city, eventually the idea of maintaining the population of pets/animals will be common around the nation but I know that's probably going to take forever.

Why not start a little now? I appreciate your thoughts. The issue may seem small to most people but it does play a part in maintaining our environment, our health, and our satisfaction of where we live.

Making spaying and neutering should be free, I agree. Why should money outweigh the true benefits of our society?

I will take this into consideration. I know that the least I can do is spread the word of spaying and neutering pets. The benefits of training. Etc.

You mentioned you "had" a pitbull, what happened?

I've had 4 dogs in my life so far, I never got them from a shelter, they were given to me by people who were close to letting them go on the street or placing them in the shelter. They all passed away due to old age, they were so loving. The death of a pet can really hit the heart hard because they know how to love unconditionally.
I currently have one dog and he's my first dog from the shelter.

Look around - I don't have a quick answer but I'd be surprised if animal shelter people couldn't get you to help you with that.

Yea! My current pup was neutered right after I adopted him. I picked him up the next day and I thought, "My goodness, I have a toy fox terrier on my lap, he's medicated, scared, I don't know what to expect from him..." but that experience formed a very strong bond between us.

I saw your dog on your profile picture. Cute!!

That's Katy. That was a friend's sister's dog, and I got her because the sister needed long term care and I was a possible caregiver - for sure. She died about a year later, she was twelve, had bladder cancer, but in her days here on a2k, she brought love to a lot of us. I still cry sometimes re her pictures, Katy love.


Oops - the dog on my avatar now is Sand Paw. Sand Paw is a whole other story.

Born on the tracks..

Thank you for sharing =)

"Born on the tracks..." Sounds like a movie

Yes! Sand Paw the movie, set in Venice! (well, the wrong Venice, this Venice was in California.) At the time, a friend and I became business partners - she was looking for a place to live besides her one room in a kind of artists' building (I had a two room studio/bed-sit there) and I went along, and the place she wanted to look at was an old Eagles Lodge (some kind of fraternal order), the place for lease being 3500 square feet. So I went in with her on it and we had a studio and gallery, made the two offices our own bedrooms, and in time sublet to a jewelry maker and then theater group, thus my meeting my future husband. Anyway, her boyfriend found a puppy on the then defunct railroad tracks behind the building..

and he became the first dog I ever had.

Maybe OT Dar, it's because yardwork calls, but

The dog tends to be friendlier except when angry, when he might bite, esp pit bull

One of my biggest objection to my fellow American is that he has two or three dogs that bark day and night. Spay

Totally OT but another is his loud music

Aw, thanks.

Our pitty gal was from years ago - I think over a decade now. We've been dogless for a while (no time, unfortunately). Shelters need money, but most of them take donations happily. An old, frayed or stained blanket or sheets can be used to make bedding, for example. A lot of these places, at least in the US, will give you a tax deduction for donations. Just ask for a receipt.

We had an unaltered male dog when I was a kid, and he used to roam. We lived on a quiet street so he was mainly safe but it was still a scare when he would escape. I'm not sure why my folks never got him neutered.