Target: Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States
Goal: Raise the minimum number of days a U.S. shelter must house a dog or cat before euthanizing them.
Many people fail to recognize the prevalence of kill-shelters throughout the United States. The antiquated practice of murdering innocent dogs and cats in the name of population control results in the deaths of nearly one million pets in the U.S. each year. Sometimes, the methods of euthanasia employed are extremely unpleasant or even painful for the animals. Gas chambers–tiny metal boxes that get filled with dogs and cats and pumped with toxic gasses–for example, are still legal in states across the U.S and cause their victims mental and physical duress.
To make matters worse, over thirty states have laws outlining a “holding period” for kill-shelters. According to this legislation, shelters are currently only required to house a dog or cat for a period of 5-7 days before euthanizing them. Sometimes, however, animals are euthanized in a mere 48 or 72 hours. In the majority of cases, these companion animals are very friendly and healthy, extremely adoptable candidates. Sometimes, the dogs and cats killed are people’s pets that got lost and taken in by overcrowded shelters, never to be returned again.
Killing as many dogs and cats in the shortest amount of time is not the solution to overpopulation. We must make spaying and neutering more affordable to the masses, educate people on the effects of releasing their animals, and better promote adoption and adoptable pets. Sign this petition to encourage legislation to raise the holding period for dogs and cats at kill-shelters across the U.S. and to give these innocent animals a chance at finding a forever home.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear President Biden,
The United States is currently in the midst of an extreme pet overpopulation epidemic. Dogs and cats are ending up in shelters by the millions and are being senselessly murdered because of overcrowding. Kill-shelters, which are still largely common throughout the U.S., euthanize nearly one million dogs and cats each year, sometimes employing cruel methods such as gassing.
Animals at these shelters are not given much time to find new homes. In over thirty states, laws establish the required “holding period” for any given pet in a kill-shelter need not exceed 5-7 days. In some cases, dogs and cats receive only 48-72 hours before being destroyed. These animals are almost always highly adoptable candidates, with picture perfect health and temperament. Often, animals that are killed were people’s pets that had gotten lost and turned in. If these animals were given a little more time, maybe these owners could have reunited with their pets.
These animals deserve a better chance at finding a forever home. We are asking you, President Biden, to please increase the minimum period of time kill-shelters are required to hold their animals. Seven days are not enough.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Sonia Su
I agree a law should be enacted to raise the minimum time to hold dogs and cats. Five to seven days is not enough time for pet parents to be reunited with their fur babies or for animals to find new homes. I think they should be held at least 30 days, or as long as possible.
ABSOLUTELY!! WE, AS A PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR BIRTHS, OWE IT TO THEM!!!!
THESE ARE LIVES! LIVES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT!!!
Agree!
PLEASE EXTEND the holding times for cats and dogs in “kill shelters.” These poor animals deserve a chance to be reunited with owners of lost, or to be adopted if not. We MUST do better by them. PLEASE.
Mandatory holding period of 30 days is essential.
💯%!!!
There folks are need to work for our justice system instead of animal control.
Seriously? 🙄 There’s enough people in the world, that need jobs to do it all, I think!!
you are so undereducated you cannot spell nor form a sentence. go back to school.
This is why people abandon their pets on the streets. I rescued one cat who had been on the streets for over a year and my friend rescued another who had been living in a garage for longer than a year. Now they are very happy living inside, so they are not feral cats. They would have been killed in shelters. Even 30 days may not be enough. We need sanctuaries for lost and abandoned pets, where they will never be killed.
While I totally agree with a longer holding period, I have to ask how? It is not enough to simply say so, we have to figure out where the money and space will be found. Many shelters are lacking funds/room as it is, so will they simply have to turn other animals away?
Our government, needs to step up to the plate, and help with animal control population. We send money to other countries, so why can’t they help with our animal control?
The animals of the USA deserve better, logical treatment and not let it become any worse than what it is !!
Sadly, the government won’t do squat. It’s about raising awareness & getting public donations. Please see my lengthy post here about the Oregon Humane Society (OHS). They have been successful for many decades as a no-kill shelter. It’s all funded by donations.
I agree with you Tracy. We also need breeder laws and mandatory spay/neuter laws. Rhode Island adopted one for cats and Los Angeles for dogs and cats 4 months and older.
Agreed. I worked at a high volume open admission shelter (what people call a kill shelter here) in an urban area for several years. Most people have no idea what that means, and that some of the truly biggest animal lovers and advocates work in facilities like that. Living in a shelter for months or years on end is no life for a dog or cat no matter how much you try to enrich their environment. And the funds are not there but even more THE ADOPTERS aren’t there – not enough. Change need to take place via education, breeding control, shifts in group thinking – not warehousing animals for longer to make humans feel better. Also note, those 5 day stray holds – the point of them is the number of days an owner has to claim an animal before it becomes the legal property of the shelter. That could mean euthanasia depending on the resources of the shelter – but usually it means the point at which they can be considered for an adoption program, get medical care beyond basic triaged needs shelters are legally allowed to attend to including making arrangements for spay and neuter. Bottom line: infinite sheltering of strays is not the most humane option without massive changes in breeding laws/attitudes towards adoption v purchasing animals all over the country (not just some relatively small progressive pockets).
They hold serial killers, serial rapists, pedophiles, and violent criminals for YEARS and decades behind bars. They feed and house them with OUR tax money!!!! But they don’t have funding to protect and house innocent animals??? I say switch roles: kill the (proven) violent criminals 48-72 hrs after they are sentenced. And house, feed, care for innocent stray animals.
I agree with you and DETEST scum like that but i think they suffer more if alive. People say losing your freedom is worse than death. Maybe it is time i change my mind about that. Our tax dollars should go to animals.
Need help
Shelters could make it easier to adopt by waiving fees in certain instances. It often costs more to adopt than to buy from a breeder!
Free isn’t always good. Shelters can’t do extensive screening on applicants and evil doers will adopt dogs to use as bait dogs and kittens for food for pet snakes.
Yes. You are correct. 3 vile trash were trying to get free cats from rescuers, which would NEVER happen, to maybe use cats for pitbull fighting ring.
I have to disagree. Rescue groups only charge $125-150 per cat. If you cannot afford that then people have no business adopting. Not shaming poor people because i am low income person. In the long run if people cannot afford a pet they give it back or hive to shelter. This happened to group i know. Cats were given back. Could no longer afford them.
We need better laws for dog & cat ownership. We need to figure out a way to CONTROL the pet population! No animal should be euthanized!!! Every single animal that leaves a shelter MUST be spayed or neutered before leaving a shelter, PERIOD ! There has got to be a way to control the pet population WITHOUT ANY ANIMAL BEING EUTHANIZED!!!
I agree!!! You don’t get rid of murderers by taking up space in prisons. You let them live the rest of their lives in jail while us taxpayers take care of them. Animals are the ones who are deserving to live and not die because of space.
Totally agree!
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH C. Davis
“ We need better laws for dog & cat ownership. We need to figure out a way to CONTROL the pet population! No animal should be euthanized!!! Every single animal that leaves a shelter MUST be spayed or neutered before leaving a shelter, PERIOD ! There has got to be a way to control the pet population WITHOUT ANY ANIMAL BEING EUTHANIZED!!! “
All shelters should be no kill everywhere. They need to send due babies to other states if it means they have a better shot of getting adopted.
I meant to say fur babies — they need to be sent to other areas of the US where they have a better chance of being adopted.
No kill shelters. And that’s that. All animals live and adopted to loving homes.
Yet we hold murderers in jail for life. these animals are there thru no fault of their own
I’m proud of OHS (Oregon Humane Society). They are a no-kill shelter & have been for many years. This is the model to follow. Every effort is made to adopt all animals. All day pet marathons are run twice a year on TV, the Doggie Dash, and more events are held to raise awareness of pet homelessness. OHS recently merged with the humane society in Salem which will help increase adoptions. They are funded by public donations from individuals and businesses. Advertising, publicity through media coverage, & constant campaigns are necessary for these outdated shelters to become humane. The mission & policies must change & be enforced.
SO HEARTBREAKING FOR THESE INNOCENT ANIMALS WITH A DEATH SENTENCE!!!
THIS NEEDS TO END AND THESE INNOCENT ANIMALS DESERVE MORE TIME TO FIND FOREVER HOMES!!!
END THESE KILL SHELTERS THESE ANIMALS NEED OUR VOICE!!!
Give them a chance!
The blatant murder of innocent souls on this planet shouldn’t be accepted, PERIOD! These are God’s beautiful creatures, and yet cold blooded murderers, rapists and abusers is well tolerated, and given many rights to top it off. Totally sickening!! We’re living in an upside-down diabolically evil world…what’s right is wrong and what’s wrong is right.
Judgment day IS coming!
I was on Facebook in Arizona and saw this puppy German shepherd so cute. They said they were going to put him down because he was aggressive. The next day I drove all the way to San Diego kill shelter and rescued him. Drove back to Arizona the same day. He has never been aggressive with anyone. Him and my other dog play so well together. I have had him now for over 2 years. He was only 1o months when I got him.
Why not just put the humans that work there to death after 5 days for just being simply stupid and useless