The Fate of a Pet in an Atlanta Animal Shelter

Please note photo links at the bottom of this page

Pets are turned-in to shelters with alarming regularity. The reasons are almost as numerous as the turn-ins. Here is a very small sample:

  • "We don't have time for him anymore."
  • "My new apartment complex doesn't allow pets."
  • "My new boyfriend/girlfriend is allergic."
  • "I'm getting a divorce."
  • "We 'found' these puppies / kittens."
  • "He won't hunt anymore."
  • "We're going on vacation."
Pet guardians are fooling themselves if they think the animal they turn in to a shelter is likely to find a new home. In the Atlanta area, the chances are only one-in-three. More than two-thirds (69%) of pets impounded in area shelters are killed in the shelter. There are just too many unwanted pets and not enough homes to go around.

The vast majority of dogs and cats that end up in Atlanta area shelters are lost pets that have strayed from home, not guardian turn-ins. And very, very few of these animals are reunited with their caretakers. If guardians would keep ID tags on their pets, the pets could be quickly reunited with their families.

Last year, over 90,000 dogs and cats were killed in Atlanta area shelters. This is a number of epidemic proportions. More dogs and cats are killed in Atlanta shelters than in the entire country of Great Britain, in New York City or the states of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Oregon or Washington. In more graphic terms, area animal shelters destroy 20 tons of household pets per week.

Animal shelter staff dread the arrival of "Kill Days", but recognize that there's nothing they can do to avoid killing healthy pets - what else are they supposed to do with over 90,000 unwanted dogs and cats every year?. If society would take responsibility for their pets by spaying/neutering them, by keeping identification on them and by making a lifetime commitment to them, this problem would be swiftly eliminated.

To make the problem more concrete, SPOT wishes to present to you two picture series, one of a dog meeting his fate and one of a cat. We expect and even hope you will be deeply disturbed.

However, please do not view them if the sight of the death of a pet will offend you.


To see the picture series of the actual fate of a dog in one Atlanta area shelter, click here.
To see the picture series of the actual fate of a cat in one Atlanta area shelter, click here.
To see Powerful video about shelter animals called In Hope video, click here.

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