Stray Dogs In North America

When people think of stray dogs, they usually think of them as useless damaged goods. But, these so-called damaged goods are being abandoned every day. The number of abandoned dogs is skyrocketing. Similar to many places around the world, the population of stray dogs is booming and the number in North America is not a surprise.

The tags, unwanted dogs, stray dogs, abandoned dogs, and damaged goods, are all labels people tend to put on dogs in sheltered homes or wandering around the streets looking for food. With stray dogs inclining in North America, it’s difficult for many sheltered homes to host these animals. According to Time, “Animal shelters across the U.S. are overwhelmed and overflowing. With more workers heading back to the office and pet essentials, things like food and veterinary care prices swelling, the number of unwanted dogs has climbed.” Due to the number of unwanted dogs continuously climbing over time, shelters had to start turning animals away.

Caring for animals may seem easy at times, but it’s not. Food, care, and love are what humans all yearn for, and animals, like dogs are no different from humans. Puppies are quite similar to babies. They need love and care, but it’s hard for everyone who has dogs to pay their full attention towards our furry friends. Once these dogs become older and are priceless to some families, they tend to be abandoned and not cared for. Later, these dogs would end up in shelter homes or wandering the street scavenging for survival. “Stray dogs taken in by shelters have risen 6% in the January to November period compared to 2022 and are up about 22% since 201, according to Shelter Animals Count, which surveys nearly 7,000 shelters nationally.” (Time.com) Some dogs, if fortunate enough, would be taken in by shelters waiting for new owners, while others not so lucky will be fending for themselves in the wild.

As more and more dogs are being abandoned in the streets, there are numerous reasons behind the darkening secrets. Shelters are getting calls constantly asking if there’s more for one more animal. If there isn’t, some owners might just drive their dogs somewhere in the open and leave them where it’s far from home. The rate at which these dogs are being given up is insanely fast. Some families have to make important decisions before giving their dogs up. Sometimes it’s because of their living space, lifestyle, or funds. According to Time, “The cumulative burden of higher costs for everything from groceries to rent has strained families’ budgets, and for some, the added expense of a pet is just too much. Dog owners paid an average of $344 annually for veterinary visits, $354 for food, and $315 for boarding in 2022, according to the American Pets Products Association.” With recent inflation, and as the costs continually increase within the two years, the cost could be more than what Time has reported. The financial strains on families have left many people to wonder whether or not they are ready for pet adoption.

This problem isn’t only happening in the United States. In Mexico, some people believe that adopting dogs from the shelter isn’t worth it. They believe dogs who stay in shelters can not make the perfect pet. The nation of Mexico is dog lovers but, there are 30% homeless puppies. There’s also uncontrolled breeding in many places leading to the generations of stray dogs. But, there is a solution to this uncontrolled breeding of dogs. Just like humans having to get educated on the human body and different diseases, people should also do research on dogs before adopting or getting one. This means looking at their funds, ability, and the proper ways to look after animals. This would include getting vaccines and even neutering them at the appropriate age. If people start to take action, little by little, the numbers of stray dog will be able to be maintained one day.