Seems to be it depends entirely on who you're talking to as to whether or not the issue is as bad as people like PeTA and HSUS and ASPCA would like you to believe.
Me, personally, while I believe there is a problem, I do not believe it is serious enough that it warrants things like PeTA's mass-slaughter, or the ASPCA trying to pass the bill to put down dogs and cats for being too stressed when they come into the shelters and rescues. It can't be too bad if the HSUS sends out recommended guidelines, brainwashing shelter workers into thinking that the general public is full of horrible people out to adopt animals only to abuse them, turning down perfectly great homes and allowing pets to suffer or die. My belief gets backed up by people working in the rescue world, particularly regular old animal control staff and people in charge of general shelter services for a district (such as the article here seems to illustrate very nicely).
I simply don't buy the typical claim that there aren't enough homes. I definitely believe there are nowhere near enough homes that are up to the standards of an animal rights organization, obviously, but considering the goal of animal rights is to get rid of pets all together, that's not that surprising. The guidelines HSUS says must be executed by a good shelter, coupled with the MSN and anti-breeder laws, illustrate that point quite clearly, but unfortunately the general public is naive; they are blinded by sad commercials showing animals in horrible situations (99% of the time they are not even in the shelter yet, either, which really bothers me) and guilt-tripping viewers with celebrity endorsements and sad music.
For a country full of so many people who claim that everyone is so blind to things like the government and their fellow-citizens, Americans sure do seem to really eat up this bullcrap spewed by well-disguised organizations (which is sick considering those same people will often jump up to talk about how horrible and unethical PeTA actually is! ).
But anyway, that's my view/rant on the issue.
TL;DR, I don't believe the overpopulation problem is as bad as commercials on television try to make the world think it is, and I am much more inclined to believe people who aren't brainwashed and jaded and work in the rescue world on the front lines and beyond.
opcorn:
Me, personally, while I believe there is a problem, I do not believe it is serious enough that it warrants things like PeTA's mass-slaughter, or the ASPCA trying to pass the bill to put down dogs and cats for being too stressed when they come into the shelters and rescues. It can't be too bad if the HSUS sends out recommended guidelines, brainwashing shelter workers into thinking that the general public is full of horrible people out to adopt animals only to abuse them, turning down perfectly great homes and allowing pets to suffer or die. My belief gets backed up by people working in the rescue world, particularly regular old animal control staff and people in charge of general shelter services for a district (such as the article here seems to illustrate very nicely).
I simply don't buy the typical claim that there aren't enough homes. I definitely believe there are nowhere near enough homes that are up to the standards of an animal rights organization, obviously, but considering the goal of animal rights is to get rid of pets all together, that's not that surprising. The guidelines HSUS says must be executed by a good shelter, coupled with the MSN and anti-breeder laws, illustrate that point quite clearly, but unfortunately the general public is naive; they are blinded by sad commercials showing animals in horrible situations (99% of the time they are not even in the shelter yet, either, which really bothers me) and guilt-tripping viewers with celebrity endorsements and sad music.
For a country full of so many people who claim that everyone is so blind to things like the government and their fellow-citizens, Americans sure do seem to really eat up this bullcrap spewed by well-disguised organizations (which is sick considering those same people will often jump up to talk about how horrible and unethical PeTA actually is! ).
But anyway, that's my view/rant on the issue.
TL;DR, I don't believe the overpopulation problem is as bad as commercials on television try to make the world think it is, and I am much more inclined to believe people who aren't brainwashed and jaded and work in the rescue world on the front lines and beyond.
opcorn: