Animal Shelter Over-Population: What's the Truth?

Letting dogs who are not fixed run free and mate as they please contributes to some of our over-population in animal shelters.

Do you know what adds even more dogs to those dog kennels than that?

People see a movie or someone walking a dog that they feel is beautiful. Then without researching the dog breed, they go and pick one up ... only to become overwhelmed by tendencies the animal naturally has.

If you want a dog, please do your homework. Know the dog breed, know its tendencies, health risks, temperament, and exercise requirements. For example, most working dog breeds, such as my Border Collie, need runs twice daily. They need it! It's not optional.

If you have an active lifestyle and want your dog to be part of that, get a dog breed who loves to work. If you are laid back, get a laid back breed.

If you do not know what signs to look for, take a qualified evaluator with you to select the right dog for you.

Common sense will cause the most dramatic drop ever in the animal shelter's dog population. It is up to each and every one of us to do our part!

Rena Murray
Dog Whisper Woman