International Homeless Animals Day falls on every third Saturday in August, which will be August 20 this year. The International Society for Animal Rights introduced the day to spread awareness about pet overpopulation and has done meaningful work since, including saving the lives of millions of animals. A Tampa, FL vet discusses homeless pets and their special day below.
History
The twentieth century brought about a shift in thinking about animal welfare, as people began to push for more humane practices. This brought about the Humane Euthanasia act and the Animal Rights Act. The International Society For Animal Rights started International Homeless Animals Day back in 1992. It grows a bit each year, and now includes many different events, fundraisers, adoption drives, and activities. We’re happy to do our part to spread the word!
Current Legislation
Animal cruelty is a felony here in Florida, which is one change we were thrilled to see take effect. However, this doesn’t do much for homeless animals, at least as far as their living conditions. At this time, animal shelter regulation does not fall under the jurisdiction of any one government agency. Some, though not all, shelters are funded by their counties or cities. However, all of them rely on donations to help them provide the food, care, and shelter their furry wards’ need.
Numbers
The numbers on homeless pets are very sad. There are about 70 million homeless animals here in the U.S. That makes the 6 million animals that are brought to shelters each year seem like a small number! Animal overpopulation is also a big part of the problem. A pair of cats can have a whopping 11, 606, 077 descendants in nine years, while dogs can have 67,000 in just seven.
How To Help
If you’re an animal lover, you’re likely very saddened by the thought of all those struggling animals, and wish you could do something for them. Helping all of them is too big a chore for one person, but you can definitely make a difference. One thing that’s more important than many people realize is getting your own pets fixed, so they can’t add to those numbers. You may also want to consider helping out local animal welfare and rescue programs by volunteering or even fostering.
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