ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION

Pictures Cited:

http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2008/04/21/ilovepuppies.jpg

http://www.animalrightsblog.com/wp-

http://www.insidesocal.com/pets/shelter%2520cats.jpg

http://www.furkids.org/spayclinic.html

6.3

Consider all possible solutions or alternatives: What can we do to address this issue? What can others do? Are there multiple perspectives on the best way to address the problem?

• Spay and neuter animals-make it affordable for all families
• Adopt animals from shelters instead of puppy mills
• Lengthen hunting season for wildlife
• For families looking to adopt, make prices reasonable so animals don't become abandoned
  
• People can donate to organizations and shelters
• People can make sure they're ready for the responsibility of a pet before getting one
• Breeder's should be more thorough when looking into families wanting to buy a pet
• Make animal insurance and medical bills more affordable
• More government funding
• Educate the public about the problem

Calculate the externalities of these solutions at all levels of the economy: What positive or negative externalities does this issue present at each sector of the economy? Refer to your circular-flow diagram. What are the externalities, both positive and negative that could result from each possible solution?

• Government-the extra money being spent on helping animals would appease animal activists and make a better relationship between the two
• Households-there would be less money for things such as research, new roads and buildings and would decrease development
• Businesses-pet stores would get more business
• Rest of the World-with more people adopting animals, and being able to afford to keep them, there would be a higher demand for play toys. There would be more research for making pet food healthier
• Incentives-Individuals would be able to afford and keep their pet. The government would make lots of citizens happy and eventually profit from animal businesses staying in business. Businesses would stay open, make money, and employees would keep their jobs
• Money spent on animal overpopulation could be spent somewhere else
• Some people may protest against all ideas to help
• Pet businesses would compete against each other and some would go out of business
• More jobs would be created
• Not all solutions will keep all people from losing their pet

Works Cited:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Pet-Overpopulation-Solutions&id=1420411

http://www.humanesocietynational.org/overpopulation.html

6.2

Determine the criteria that any potential solution must meet:

What are the necessary conditions for any possible solution to work? Are there budget or labor concerns? Does the public need to be aware of and support the solution? What challenges are there to implementing each solution? How else might you judge possible solutions against each other? What do your parents say about the issue?

• Easy, affordable, educated on the solution
• Budget concerns
• Public awareness
• Spay/neuter-money, knowledge of the procedure
• Donations-money, where it's going, what organization to give to
• Adopt from a shelter instead of puppy mill-preference of animal, cost, knowledge of shelter
• Choosing a solution depends on criteria and what most people will go for
• Most people would prefer to adopt from a shelter-it's easy and cheap
  

6.1

Define the situation or problem, and explain how it affects your community.

ANIMAL OVERPOPULATION

• Lots of homeless animals in shelters
• Strays wondering the streets
• Overflowing into the community, threatening the residents
• People should start adopting from shelters instead of puppy mills
• Animals are being abused and neglected
• Numerous helpless animals being euthanized

Construct a circular-flow diagram that incorporates effects of problem on economic products and various sectors of the economy: How does this issue affect local residents, area businesses, our government, international trade, resources, goods and services, and finances?

• With more animals, there is more variety for families looking for a family pet
• Businesses need to be careful animals don't get into trash outside their buildings
• Governments spending more money on animal shelters, animal cops, and money to buy pentobarbital for euthanizations
  
• Businesses buy and sell stocks to make money
• Import chemicals to make pentobarbital
• Export pentobarbital to other countries to keep animal population under control
  
• Overpopulation creates more job opportunities which increases wages which allows for people to increase their savings
• Veterinarians are starting to spay and neuter more animals
• Money being borrowed to make pentobarbital and shelters for animals

Works Cited:

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/all_issues.html

http://www.idausa.org/facts/overpopulation.html

BEST SOLUTION FOR ACTION

The best solution to stop animal overpopulation is to buy your pet from an animal shelter instead of a breeder. It’s easy for people to go to an animal shelter. There is always a local one nearby. Animal shelters are also much more affordable than a breeder. Adopting a dog from a shelter costs around $200-$300 however than includes: a physical examination, vaccinations, microchip implant, free medications for the first two weeks, heart worm test, and more. Buying from a breeder would cost anywhere from $1500 and up. The average family would not be able to afford such an expensive pet. Although many people are not well educated about shelters and are sometimes doubtful about shelters and the quality of animals, it would be easy to inform them of how easy, and reliable shelters really are.

If people were to start buying animals from shelters instead of breeders, it would put some of those breeders out of business. However, that would be a contributing factor to stopping animal overpopulation. Breeders send some of there puppies and the leftovers to puppy mills and then start over breeding new puppies. This increases the animal population tremendously. With breeders being put out of business, and people adopting the numerous animals from shelters, the animal population will reduced to a reasonable level.

Other solutions like having pets spayed or neutered, donating, and breeders being more thorough when looking into families wanting to buy a pet would be too hard to enforce and are too expensive.

Buying your pet from an animal shelter is the best option to help the problem of animal overpopulation. It’s easy, affordable, and there are many ways to educate the public on the idea. Not only will families benefit from acquiring a new, loving pet, but the animals will also benefit from acquiring a family and home.





Works Cited:

http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/adoption?t=dog

http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/adoption/procedures/feeincludes

http://www.dogshowjournal.com/KAYEKIDS/PUPPY.htm

http://www.ritzkennels.com/puppymills.html

SOLUTIONS

CRITERIA: Easy, Affordable, Educated on the solution

SPAY/NEUTER

• Easy: there’s always a local vet nearby that can do the procedure.
• Affordable: not always cheap. Some families may not be able to pay.
• Educated: Some pet owners are not comfortable with the idea of their pet going through surgery and would stay away from the idea because they are not certain with what goes on with the procedure

ADOPT FROM SHELTERS INSTEAD OF PUPPY MILLS

• Easy: there are local shelters with numerous amounts of animals to choose from.
• Affordable: Shelters are much cheaper than breeder’s. The average family would certainly be able to afford a pet from a shelter rather than an animal breeder.
• Educated: Many people are not well informed about shelters and think the animals there are not as good as the one’s offered by a breeder.

DONATIONS

• Easy: People can mail donations or drop them off at an organizations place of business.
• Affordable: Some families do not have enough extra money to donate to organizations. The extra money they do have needs to be spent elsewhere.
• Educated: People are often skeptical about organizations and their intentions. Citizens wonder if the money is really going to help animals and would rather just stay out of it, than risk being scammed.

BREEDER’S NEED TO BE MORE THOROUGH

• Easy: This would require a lot of work on the breeder’s part, along with taking up valuable time.
• Affordable: Breeder’s would have to spend more money looking into families wanting to adopt.
• Educated: Breeder’s know what to do when it comes to their job.