It’s a known fact that animals get put to sleep because of lack of space in a shelter. But is it really necessary? I believe that when we put animals to sleep, it should be considered abuse. Not having enough room for an animal is not a good enough reason to kill them. Yes, if an animal is suffering from severe pain, I would definitely want to put it out of its misery.


Lot’s of shelters are overpopulated; Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year. There is a way we can fix, or at least help it a little bit. Build more homes for the animals to stay in. If the costs of doing this are too expensive, then there are other ways to help with the situation. Owners of pets should get them spayed or neutered; it helps by keeping strays off the streets. I know a lot of people that have outdoor cats and/or dogs. Most of them cannot afford to pay the expense, but I say if they cannot afford to properly take care of a pet, than they should not take on the responsibility of owning one.

Other people think that it is ok to put an animal to sleep. They would probably say it’s better than putting them back on the streets where they came from. I agree with not wanting to throw them out, but there are solutions. A big help would be that instead of adopting a pet from a private breeder or another place, adopt one from a humane society, it makes more space.

Now, we all know that this problem will never be fully resolved, but I think it could be worth a shot, if we actually tried. It would safe a lot more animal lives than we think.