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Korie Wong

Mr. Lay

4-26-23

English

Helping animals in need

Although some animals are “rescued” often they are wrongly forced into mistreatment

due to poor application protocol and eagerness to release animals to resolve overcrowded

shelters. This is a problem that often occurs in the animal rescue community. While there is an

intention of rescuing animals to provide them with a better life is there, the process is not always

executed properly and can lead to mistreatment or harm to the animals.

The Problem:

One of the main reasons for mistreatment is a lack of a proper application protocol.

Animal rescue organizations need to have a clear and thorough application process to ensure that

the animals are going to good homes with responsible and capable owners. Rescue animal

organizations should do a good background check on people regarding their financial situation,

living environment, and how they act overall. The main reason that animals are left on the street

or abandoned is that people don’t take proper care of their pets. Without a proper application

process, animals can end up in homes where they are not properly cared for or even abused.

Another issue is overcrowding in animal shelters. Animal rescue organizations are often

underfunded and understaffed. This can lead to overcrowding in shelters. In solution to the

problem of overcrowded animal shelters, some shelters may rush to release animals without
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properly vetting potential adopters or ensuring that the animal is ready for adoption. To prevent

the mistreatment of rescued animals, animal rescue organizations need to prioritize the well-

being of the animals above anything else. Organizations need to prioritize the long-term well-

being of the animal, rather than simply releasing them to free up space in overcrowded shelters.

Overcrowded shelters can lead to behavior problems in animals. Some of these behavior

problems that these animals can face are stress, anxiety aggravation/being territorial, depression,

and social deprivation. Common behaviors that are seen in animals at these rescue animal

shelters are aggression, fear and anxiety, and depression. When animals are forced to live

closely with other animals, they can become territorial or protective of their space and resources

like food, water, or toys and that can lead to aggressive behavior. The aggressive behavior of the

pet can lead to them not being adopted. Overcrowded shelters can be overwhelming for some

animals, which can lead to fear and anxiety. Along with fear and anxiety of animals in

overcrowded shelters may become lethargic, unresponsive, or disinterested in their surroundings,

which can be the first signs of depression. Overcrowded shelters are caused by people

abandoning their pets either at the shelter itself, on the streets, or the animal was just born on the

streets and is homeless.

In Hawaii, “The Humane Society said right now, its kennels are packed with more than

80 dogs. The shelter instead wants the public to participate in its Couch Crashers foster program

in which people can temporarily care for a dog for up to two weeks. While Couch Crashers

addresses an urgent space shortage, about 33% of the 140 participating dogs have actually been

adopted by their fosters. The shelter is also hosting the “Will You Be Mine” adoption special

through Feb. 19, which offers adoption fees of $14 for all animals. Normally, fees range from

$25 to $[Link] Maui Humane Society also says it currently has 105 dogs in its care, but its
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capacity is 40. Dogs are being paired in kennels to deal with the space issue. The shelter is

asking the public to provide temporary homes for dogs. Anyone can do so through its “SOS

Foster, “Paws-to-Adopt” (10-day adoption trial), and “Dog on Demand” programs.” (Hawaii

News Now …)

Another big problem with overcrowded shelters is the fact that some places euthanize

animals that have been at the shelter for a long period. Although there are non-kill shelters like

the SPCA, not many of the animals are taken there because no one does the research. “There are

6-8 million animals that enter shelters every year all over the world and 3-4 million of those

animals are euthanized.” (Bradley, J. and Rajendran, S…). Staff and volunteers that work at

these rescue shelters run other programs than adopting. There are fostering programs and private

boarding facilities too. 5% of animals that enter rescue shelters are euthanized due to

overcrowded shelters. There are many reasons for a shelter to euthanize an animal. Animals in

shelters are euthanized because of overcrowding, medical issues such as being sick or being

disabled, or behavior issues such as being too aggressive. The causes for the overpopulation of

animals include failure to spay or neuter animals leading to reckless breeding habits and

abandonment or surrender of offspring, animal abandonment from owners who are no longer

able to take care of or do not want the animal, and individuals still buying from pet stores. One-

fourth of animals living in rescue shelters are being adopted. Even though adoption fees are

being reduced and some of the medical expenses are covered before adoption, not many people

are adopting or fostering animals. (Bradley, J. and Rajendran, S…) Although euthanizing

animals could be a solution and has been a solution in some places, in my opinion, it is not the

best way to relieve animals from an overcrowded shelter. The SPCA’s motto, is “Every healthy

treatable animal will find a forever home” (Oahu SPCA, 1). Every animal should have the
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opportunity to have a forever home no matter what. No animal should have to be euthanized to

make space for other animals in an overcrowded animal shelter. “Animal shelters in communities

throughout the country are in crisis. Shelters that have not had to euthanize for space in years are

now being forced to do so. Pets are dying. This is a crisis in every sense, and we must act now.”

(Our Nation’s Animals …) “Shelters who haven’t had to euthanize in 10 or 15 years are having

to again.” This is the cause of overcrowded animal shelters. Rescue shelters that haven’t

euthanized animals in a while are having to start again due to overcrowding in the shelters. These

animals that are being euthanized should have the chance to have a home and have that

experience.

An example of pets in rescue shelters having behavior issues because of not having the

proper attention is Button who is a rescue dog at an animal shelter and is not getting the attention

they need, and they end up showing signs of stress and start acting out. “Button had been at the

Kansas City Pet Project for about a month, and he wasn’t doing well. He was displaying

alarming signs of kennel stress, including pacing, spinning, vocalizing, and jumping repeatedly.”

A solution to having too many animals in these rescue shelters feeling stressed and acting out is

putting them into foster care. It has been shown by Button that foster care can change the

behavior of the animal juristically. “When Button was placed in foster care, his quality of life

improved immediately. His compulsive stress behaviors completely and immediately

disappeared,” says Sara Gillette, foster coordinator for the Kansas City Pet Project. “He ended up

getting adopted shortly after going to foster, where his adopter was able to see him for who he

truly was – not who he was in a shelter kennel.” If we get more people to foster rescue animals,

then there will not be a problem with overcrowded animal shelters. “For this study, we selected

large, open-admission shelters where fostering adult dogs could make an impact,” says project
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consultant Kristen Hassen-Auerbach, Director of Pima Animal Care Center in Tucson, Arizona.

“We wanted to focus on busy shelters where dogs spend most of their time in kennels and don’t

receive tons of one-on-one TLC. We believed that if we can make something like this work in

big, busy shelters, it will also be effective in smaller organizations.” (This Chew on …) Being

fostered as a dog or a cat or any animal at means can change their life. Like Button, most rescue

animals have behavior issues either being too aggressive, shy, or depressed. Having the

opportunity to be fostered and to be in a new environment can change their attitude. After Button

was fostered, he got adopted not too long after.

Solution:

To address these behavior problems, shelters can provide environmental enrichment, such

as toys, puzzles, and socialization opportunities, to help alleviate stress and boredom. They can

also implement behavior modification programs, such as positive reinforcement training, to

address problem behaviors and help animals become more adoptable. Additionally, shelters can

work to reduce overcrowding by implementing spay/neuter programs and increasing adoption

efforts.

Foster programs can also help alleviate overcrowding in shelters by providing temporary

homes for animals. Fostering also provides the opportunity for animals to receive more

personalized care and attention, which can increase their chances of being adopted. With

fostering programs animals can be introduced to a different environment outside of the rescue

shelter and they can learn how to adapt. Shelters can work together to transfer animals between

facilities to help balance out overcrowding. This can also provide opportunities for animals to be

adopted in different areas, increasing their chances of finding a forever home. Volunteers can

help with the care of animals in shelters, which can free up staff time and resources. This can
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include walking dogs, cleaning kennels, and socializing with animals to help them become more

adoptable. Educating the community about responsible pet ownership, including the importance

of spaying and neutering, can help reduce the number of animals that end up in shelters. Shelters

can also provide resources and support to pet owners, including behavior training and low-cost

veterinary care. All of the small things helping shelters can impact animals’ everyday life and the

workers. By being involved with animal shelters by either fostering, taking a dog out for the day,

volunteering, or donating, these all help the shelters and the animals.

Animal shelters are constantly getting more and more animals either by rescuing them or

people abandoning them at their doorstep. To make more space for these pets the rescue animal

shelter has to decide to either euthanize animals or to somehow make more space for the new

pets. Although animals are “rescued” they can be forced into mistreatment.
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Work Cited:

Dokhale, Mugdha. “Puppy Mills 101.” The Animal Pad, 20 May 2022,

“Hawaii News Now: Got Some Extra Space? Overcrowded Hawaii Animal Shelters Need Your
Help.” Maui Humane Society, 7 Feb. 2023, Accessed 11 May 2023.

“It’s 2022, and Animal Shelters Are Filling Up Again.” [Link],

[Link]/dog-lifestyle/animal-shelters-full-2022.

“Our Nation’s Animal Shelters Are in Crisis.” BISSELL Pet Foundation, 27 July 2022,
[Link]/news/shelter-crisis-2022/#.

This, Chew on. “Research Study: Foster Care Has an Impact on Dogs' Welfare and Adoption.”
Chew On This, 24 Sept. 2020, [Link]
has-an-impact-on-dogs-welfare-and-adoption-study-suggests/.