The Tennessean recently published an article regarding the pet overpopulation problem facing the Metro Animal Care and Control Center in Nashville.
According to their sources, approximately 78 percent of the animals that come in never find homes. It's a sad statistic. No one wants to know that animals like those we love at home are destroyed, but the truth is that it's a struggle to fix a problem that stems from multiple sources.
According to the Tennessean, a petition has been started online that calls for "better-funded programs and lower euthanasia rates." But where should the money be pulled from? Which program is being over-fed in order to feed this one? Private donations will never fill the need sufficiently. Where can everyone agree to pinch a few pennies?
The shelter says they do their best to find the animals homes, but there are simply not enough homes for them. Some rescues do transport out of the state to regions that can better handle more homeless pets, but that becomes draining as well as time consuming. And the added transportation cost will never be made up in the adoption fee after the animal is vaccinated and neutered.
More partnerships with non-profits has been suggested, however cooperation between multiple organizations can be tricky. It's not simply a matter of passing animals from one set of hands to another, however cooperation is indeed a key component of a sucessful program.
While the debate on how to properly move forward continues, what we CAN do is spread the word of animals that can't wait.
The following pets are currently available for adoption and can be seen at the facility located at 5125 Harding Place.
- Rusty is a 6 month old female cat, named for her marmalade color.
- Willie is an adult male Boxer. He is missing one eye but doesn't mind if you don't.
- Arlo is a Jack Russell Terrier with plenty of energy and affection to share.
More adoptable animals can be seen by visiting Petfinder.com or PetHarbor.com.
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