Adopt, Dont Shop Jenna Mays jenna.mays@smail.astate.edu Pet - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Adopt, Don’t Shop Jenna Mays jenna.mays@smail.astate.edu

Pet Ownership Dogs Cats • 70-80 million owned • 74-96 million owned • 30.4% of households own cats • 36.5% of households own dogs • That’s 36,117,000 households in the • That’s 43,346,000 households in the United States United States

How Do People Get Animals? • Breeders, Shelters, Strays • What is a breeder? • A person who breeds dogs to make new dogs. • 25% of dogs come from breeders • 35% of dogs get adopted from shelters • 37% of cats get adopted from shelters

Why People Get Rid of Animals • Can’t afford them • Landlord does not allow pets • Severe allergies • Animal’s behavioral problems • Does not want them anymore

Shelters • 7.6 million companion animals enter shelters each year • 3.9 million are dogs • 3.4 million are cats • 649,000 animals who enter shelters return to their original owners • 542,000 are dogs • Only 100,000 are cats

Importance of Adopting • You’ll save a life • Each year, 2.7 million animals are euthanized in the United States. • Fight against puppy mills • If you buy an animal from a store, you are more than likely getting it from a puppy mill. • Puppy mills profit off of the welfare of dogs. • Make your life and that animal’s life so much better!

Importance of Adopting continued • You’ll get a great animal • Shelter pets are always so happy when they are placed in a loving home • It’ll cost you less • Spay/Neuter, Vaccinations, and sometimes Microchipping is included in Adoption fee! • Adoption will help more than one animal • You are making room for other animals to get adopted, adoption fee goes towards helping the shelters take care of those animals

What it Cost to Adopt and Buy an Animal Shelters Buying • Average cost to adopt a dog: $100-$200 • Spay/Neuter: $50-$175 • Wellness Exam: $30-$65 • Average cost to adopt a cat: $50-$100 • Vaccinations: $25-$85 • Included in Adoption Fee • • Bloodwork & Fecal Test: $40-$125 Physical Exam • Spay/Neuter • Flea, Tick & Heartworm: $140-$240 • Flea/Tick & Heartworm Treatment • Microchip: $25-$50 • ID Tag • Microchipping

Too Many Animals without a Home • Overpopulated • Each year, more than 6 million dogs and cats are lost, abandoned, or unwanted. • 2 to 3 million dogs and cats have to be euthanized each year because of overpopulation • Why is this a big problem? • Unwanted pets • Responsibility gets too much for owners • Pure laziness

What Can You Do To Help • Spay/Neuter your animals • Get animals vaccinated • Get an animal from legitimate shelter or non-profit organization • Free up a space in the shelter for another animal to get a chance at a forever home

Where to Adopt a Pet in Jonesboro, AR • Northeast Arkansas Humane Society • http://neahs.org/ • Jonesboro Animal Control • http://www.jonesboro.org/132/Animal-Control

References • https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Statistics/Pages/Market-research- statistics-US-pet-ownership.aspx • http://prime.peta.org/2010/01/why-people-abandon-animals • http://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and- surrender/pet-statistics • https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/adoption/adoption-fees • http://neahs.org/