Think Globally, Act Locally Using Orange T-Shirts To Change Communities

According to a variety of animal welfare organizations, shelters and programs, the overpopulation of pets is a problem throughout the world. In the U. S, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is one of many pet welfare organizations that encourage people to raise awareness, donate or fundraise. Selling specially designed Orange T-shirts, for example, can educate people and raise money. The primary logo color for the ASPCA is orange. Amusing or adorable pet pictures with a matching caption on the front of the T-shirt, can be countered with a message on the back about dire needs of animals and shelters. Social networks allow communities to get involved in solving local pet welfare issues, and are useful for marketing.

Scientists advise that both domestic pets and humans are overpopulating Earth. U. S. Residents number 6,893,000,000 according to the U. S. Census Bureau. This exceeds the Earth’s capacity to provide sufficient human habitats.

In fact, scientists advise that humans are reportedly overpopulating Earth 10,000 greater than their norm according to animal kingdom balance rules. As far as dogs go, the Humane Society of the United States estimates approximately 77.5 million dogs are owned. The number of male dogs is equal to female dogs. Dogs who are owned originated from animal shelters 19% of the time. Two dogs are owned on average per owner.

Approximately 93.6 million cats are owned in the U. S. Principally, 70% of all cats are female, and each cat owner typically owns 2.5 cats. Twenty-two percent of them are animal shelter adoptees. Eighty-seven percent of owned cats are spayed or neutered. The feral cat population is extremely high, equating to more than half of the population of owned cats, or 50 million cats.

Between 6 and 8 million cats and dogs live in the approximately 3,500 U. S. Animal shelters. These animals are often offspring of house pets. Less than 5% of cats and roughly 30% of dogs, are reclaimed by owners from animal shelters. Between 3-4 million of sheltered animals are adopted. The remaining animals are put down at a rate of 1 per 8 seconds, or four million annually.

Shelters cannot meet the demand for services or shelter space. Companion pet organizations, rescue groups, and animal shelters conduct outreach to communities on ways to help their communities. Spaying or neutering pets and stray animals, particularly cats, can help. Adopting from pet shelters instead of pet stores, donating time and money, and fundraising can further help.

Animals encounter abandonment, neglect, poor health care, and unfortunate living conditions when they are unwanted or strays. Worse, they may become victims of cruelty. Top reasons for dogs and cats to be relinquished are relocation and pet maintenance costs, according to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy. Challenging economic times and natural disasters may subject pets to harsh circumstances or abandonment. Globally, private and public funding sources spend millions on capturing abandoned animals, caring for sheltered animals, and putting them to sleep.