In most animal shelters, dogs spend 23 hours or more per day in their kennels. [1]
“Kennel stress is a deadly threat to shelter dogs. The right enrichment can help save them,” says Kristen Hassen, a teacher and writer on animal welfare. "Living in constant confinement in shelter kennels creates high levels of stress and anxiety that frequently lead dogs to act out."
This means that shelters end up killing healthy, friendly, adoptable dogs due to "behavioral decline" or "behavioral suffering." [1]
Dogs and cats are naturally social animals, desperate for the comforts of home and the companionship of their own human family.
Animal shelters are filled with fear, stress, anxiety, and noise, which can lead to alarming stress behaviors.
Some dogs will run in circles until they collapse ... they may hide in the back of the cage or stop eating ... some will bark incessantly until they become hoarse.
Dogs and cats instinctively want to explore, play with toys, and go on an adventure, even if it is just a walk around the block. Unfortunately, this is not possible for those confined to a shelter.
Let's look at both the short-term and long-term solutions.
We can help support our local animal shelters by donating enrichment activities or volunteering our time.
1) Donate enrichment activities! Kongs and licking mats can be filled with peanut butter to give dogs an activity to access their treats. Cats can be given new toys to give them a variety of ways to play.
2) Offer to volunteer! Play with shelter animals in their kennels and take them out on walks!
3) Offer to foster! Fostering does more than just get the animal out of the stressful shelter environment – it also helps them get ready for a permanent home by letting them live and learn in a family environment.
Even when animal shelters do their absolute best to provide care for these animals, nothing compares to the love and security of a dedicated guardian and a home.
Our mission is to end the number 1 cause of suffering and death for dogs and cats -- overpopulation -- by developing a permanent-lasting birth control cookie that will only need to be eaten one time, and it will in effect spay or neuter -- without surgery.
Companion animal overpopulation is the biggest crisis facing dogs and cats around the world. Hundreds of millions of animals will be born just to suffer and starve on the streets, and countless others will end up languishing in shelters, hoping to one day know the feeling of companionship.
That’s why 600 Million Dogs is working tirelessly at the grassroots level to stop the suffering before it starts. Drug companies refuse to help, but we will not turn away from these amazing animals who are worthy of love and security.
Thank you for caring about animals!
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