Bardell 1
Angelina Bardell
Dr. Kurt Fawver
ENC 1102
8 December 2013
Expiration Date on Animals?
Animals like humans deserve a full life, but when trivial manmade mistakes arise, the
animals are the ones to suffer. Animal shelter funds are running low causing people to make
decisions to end the lives of animals that are adoptable. Many animals are euthanized each year
to largely prevent overcrowding. Yet, animals that are considered less likely to be adopted
because they are just shy of a kitten or puppy will be euthanized after the elderly and ill. This is
the harsh reality of shelters that suffer from a lack of space and/or funding. Public shelters like
Hillsborough County Animal Services are solely funded though the government while private
shelters like the ASPCA and CARE (Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort) rely on donations from
the general public. Besides giving to a shelter, one can also adopt which is widely promoted
among all shelters. By making significant changes in the shelter system, euthanasia can be
decreased or even prevented if certain aspects can be altered.
Euthanasia per defined by the AVMA (American Veterinarian Medical Association) is a
way “to induce death in a manner that is accord with an animal’s interest and/or because it is a
matter of welfare and the se of humane techniques to induce the most rapid and painless and
distress-free death possible” (Leary 6). Along with defining this term, the AVMA outlines
appropriate ways to euthanize depending on variables. Each shelter must have a certified official
perform the procedure. The shelters determine whether an animal is to be euthanized. The
shelters have a plan installed, but some animals do not deserve to have their life terminated.
Bardell 2
There is a slight misconception between public and private shelters. Public shelters are
heavily funded by the government and are mainly considered to be shelters that perform the most
euthanasia. Private shelters receive funds from the general public in the form of donations. Most
people get a perception that all private shelters are no-kill which is very untrue. Places like
ASPCA, Humane Society, and other privately owned are low-kill. They consider euthanasia the
extreme last resort, but euthanasia is still performed. The numbers are not as high, but still
present.
To give an idea of how many animals were euthanized in a 2008 report from the Florida
Senate Committee of Agriculture, 52.1% (~31,500) of public shelter dogs were euthanized. In
private shelters 29.1% (~5,700) dogs were put down. The cats euthanized in a public shelter were
83.5% (~56,000) while only 51.7% were euthanized in a private shelter. The numbers yielded
