So where does the problem really lie? One would think its 100% the fault of breeders and those whoops litters. But no, that is not the route of the problem, not by a long shot. Breeders are the effect of the problem, and the massive pet overpopulation is the aftermath.  Yes, breeders, as a whole, are breeding more litters than there are homes for, yet, they are selling them. So why is that, why are breeders selling their litters when there's a worldwide pet overpopulation problem? Because people do not look at the purchase of a puppy or kitten as a life long commitment. Puppies and kittens are so cute, most are purchased on impulse. Who could, after all, resist that cute little face.

How many of you reading this know someone, including yourself, who has purchased a dog or cat, only later to "get rid" of it for reasons you didn't anticipate.

Your cute little puppy grew up, it digs holes in your yard, it barks too much, it chews your furniture, you feel sorry for it because you just can't give it the time it deserves, you can't afford it's vet bills, your tired of dealing with its medical problems, it bites or growls at people because you didn't raise it to see humans as " Top Dog", it pee's and poops all over your house, there are pet hairs all over the house, it's ruining your furniture, it's got a ton of energy and gets destructive / neurotic because you don't have the time to spend with it, your tired of putting the time into it, tired of cleaning the litter box, tired of walking the dog... the list of excuses for not keeping your pet goes on and on.

So what does one do, they take the dog and try to find it a new home. However this is not all that easy, as most are looking for cute innocent little puppies and kittens.

Yes, the problem lies with the general public who, do not research, and buy these pets without thoroughly thinking it through. Without doing their homework on the type of pet they should get, and without taking the time to learn what a dog really needs in order to be that perfect dog. They later "Get Rid" of their pet, passing them onto rescues or pounds. Later, most will end up "Testing Out" a different type of pet.

The vast majority of people who adopt a puppy or kitten, do not keep the animal for life.

If this were to turn around and most people were to actually keep their pets through the good times and the bad, as they do their own children, the demand for these animals would go down. With less of a demand, breeders would not breed as many litters. Breeders are only breeding as many litters as they do, because people are buying them. The demand for a cute little puppy or kitten is great, because people do not keep the animal for life. Animals are recycled. If a breeder had a litter and could not sell the puppies, they would not keep having litter after litter. People are buying them, so breeders are breeding them. In a perfect world, breeders would breed less and force people to adopt from an animal rescue, but this is not a perfect world.

The solution lies with the general public educating themselves, supply and demand, that's the solution.

Lessen the demand and the supply will, on it's own, lessen.
The power lies within each and every one of us.

What needs to change... the attitude of the general public. When one decides to buy/adopt a cute little puppy or kitten, the decision should be looked at as a 10-15 year commitment. If one cannot, or does not, wish to commit this amount of time to a dog or cat, do not buy/adopt a puppy or kitten, and than pass your problem off to someone else when it grows up and the situation does not work out as you envisioned it would. Just like when one decides to have a human baby, things will not be perfect. The child will not be perfect. They will be expensive and press us to the end with issues to deal with. Dogs and cats are not disposable and they are not all the same. Chances are, a type of dog that will fit into your lifestyle will not be the type of dog that will fit into your neighbors lifestyle. Sometimes there IS NO type of dog that will fit into your lifestyle, and if you want a pet, its time to consider something else, something less demanding. This research should be done before you adopt a pet, it should not be a trial and error experience. With the internet so readily available, there is no excuse for not researching BEFORE adopting a pet.

If you would like to try owning a dog or cat, but are not sure if you are a dog / cat person, start with a full grown homeless dog or cat rather than adopting a puppy or kitten. Grown cats and dogs are easier to care for than kittens and puppies and you will not be contributing to the overpopulation problem should you decide it was not something you should have taken on. There are millions of wonderful dogs and cats that need homes.

People who adopt a cute little puppy or kitten without researching, how a dog thinks, the type of pet they are getting, the care, time and responsibility it will need, and end up "Getting Rid" of your pet after it has outgrown that cute puppy or kitten stage, using one of the many common excuses for not keeping a pet, it is you who are the problem for the worlds pet overpopulation.

Please help Save A Life Pet Rescue continue to save as many animals lives as possible by understanding the responsibility and commitment of adopting one of our animals.