Jasmin Barroso, a secretary who resides in the Bronx, encountered a life changing experience. Jasmin was being driven down to work by her husband 5 years ago, and witnessed something that changed her life. She looked over to her right, while they both sat patiently in intense traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway, and spotted something on the roadside. The image was not clear to her, but she managed to see a dog, laying down. They then pulled over knowing something was wrong.“ Once I was out of the car it was clear that he was injured, he was very weak, and though I was scared because he was a pitbull, I took my chances, and picked him right up,”said Jasmin.

Dealing with a misunderstood breed, such as pit bulls, Jasmin saw beyond that stereotype and acted out of compassion. “I took him straight to the Vet, the whole ride towards the vet he never growled, he was hopeless,” Jasmin said. “After arriving at the Vet I thought I had done my deed, but I couldn’t turn my back on him, I named him Boxer and we faced the months of recovery together, he gave me an amazing 5 years of life,”she said. Though Boxer passed away half a year ago, since he was seven when Jamsin rescued him, this story is an example of what a great role people play in assisting neglected animals.

Now according to the Humane Society of the United States, an estimated 2.7 million healthy shelter pets are not adopted each year, and only about 30 percent of pets in homes came from shelters or rescues in the years 2012-2013. They also estimate that about 64.5 percent of animal cruelty cases involved dogs, 18 percent involved cats, and 25 percent involved other animals in the year 2007. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), helps combat animal abuse nationwide. Members of the National Council have strengthened enforcement against animal crimes through the support of federal legislation with animal protection laws, according to the Humane Society.

There are organizations that have been working towards ending and enforcing laws against animal cruelty. One of which is the HSUS, Humane Society of The United States, that works with law enforcement investigating illegal animal cruelty. They go from rescuing animals from puppy mills, to hoarders, and animal fighting rings.

According to the ASPCA, another organization that works towards the prevention of animal cruelty throughout the United States, about 7.6 million animals enter animal shelters nationwide each year, of these 7.6 million animals, 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats. Out of about the 6 to 8 million of the animals that enter animal shelters year wide, 3 to 4 million of them are euthanized due to the lack of space and lack of adoption.The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, widely known as the ASPCA, was founded in 1866, and has since worked towards preventing animal cruelty in the United States. If in the New York Metropolitan Area, potential pet owners can visit the ASPCA adoption center on the upper West side.

Meg Wise-Lawrence adopted her dog at the ASPCA. “ When we went to adopt our current mix Smilla, they told us that she seemed very family friendly (which was most important to me) but might have some socialization issues,” she said. These are certain things interested adopters are informed of by the staff in ASCPA, though there was not much background given about Smilla’s previous life. Smilla had been previously adopted as a pup from the ASPCA, but was left at a Long Island shelter at the age of three. Since all ASPCA animals are microchipped, they were able to track her down, said Meg. “We have found she's super friendly and loving, her only issue is too friendly and too loving,” she said, after having Smilla for over a month now. Dogs like these are able to start a new life, a better one in the hopes of ASPCA and themselves.

Misconceptions are commonly made based on the breed or history of a dog, according to dogster.com, yet as the individuals discussed above have supported the idea that rescuing is beyond those misunderstandings.