That is the number of animals euthanized every hour of every day of every year in the United States alone.

Not to belittle Bob Barker, but spaying and neutering is NOT the solution!!  It is only PART of the solution!

  Society's treatment of animals as disposable is a giant part of the problem.  The excuses I hear people make for getting rid of their animals (I'm pregnant, I'm moving where pets aren't allowed, I have suddenly developed allergies, I'm traveling more for work, this animal no longer matches my furniture, etc.) are inexcusable.  Many of these people are acting out of ignorance... others are trying to ease a guilty conscience.

You can make a difference by encouraging these people to move elsewhere, get allergy meds, get a petsitter while traveling, travel less, work with an animal's behavior problem, etc.  Explain to the person who says, "I got rid of my cat, but it's okay, I found a good home for it" that whatever home they found is one less home available for a cat out there that was euthanized as a result of a lack of space.  Explain to the person that says, "I adopted a dog and got rid of it because it barked at a stranger entering its property or because it wasn't housebroken" that all they needed to do was give the animal a chance to adjust to its new environment or take it to obedience training.  

Patience, patience, patience... it really is a virtue!

  An animal you adopt or rescue is depending on you for a LIFETIME of love and security, not just when it's convenient.  Almost every problem that arises: behavioral, physical, geographical, etc. is resolvable.

  

If you've found an animal, consider adding it to your potentially already full household, or place an ad in the paper (never place it as a "free to good home" ad because this will attract people looking for bait animals or animals to sell to a laboratory for research) until it can be admitted to an already overwhelmed no-kill shelter so that they can properly screen potential adopters.  Try to buy the animal time until a permanent home can be found, but have a professional do the placement.  They know what questions to ask and how to properly screen people.  Find a foster home, somebody's basement or extra bedroom, or a kennel that will board the animal... Start a collection amongst  friends/employees to donate towards boarding...  Encourage EVERYONE you know to adopt an animal or add an animal to their household... two dogs instead of one, three cats instead of two... or how about a rabbit?... they can cohabitate nicely with cats.  

Encourage people to adopt from a shelter, not to buy from a breeder or pet store.  With 575 animals killed every hour why would anyone go to a breeder or a pet store supplied by puppy mills?  Because they can't get a purebred elsewhere?  Wrong!!  There's a rescue group for every breed imaginable and shelters have many purebred animals available for adoption.  There just aren't any excuses for getting rid of an animal or for not rescuing an animal from anywhere other than a shelter or the street. ~ 

Catherine Hedges