Doing Something is Better Than Doing Nothing

Given the number of pet owners in this country, which numbers in the millions,  we are all aware of the fact that many dogs and cats go missing or are permanently lost each year - devastating their owners with an unimaginable loss.

Unfortunately, there is no getting around this, and its consequent impact on shelters across the country and the subsequent increase in their populations leaving many of them to consider euthanasia. As a result many are asking “What else can be done to reduce this trend and turn it around?”

There are two remarkable things going on right now that very well could turn these numbers around. Shelters across the country are beginning to change how they approach this issue by offering new and inventive ways to get their dogs and cats adopted before the idea of euthanasia has to be considered. The introduction of new technologies such as GPS collars give dog and cat owners a very real defense in the event their pets decide an unannounced field trip is in order.

One shelter in Roanoke, VA is doing just that. The Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection has determined that photography, the actual images of the animals in the shelters, makes a huge difference in adoption rates. Nobody wants to look at a scared animal in a shelter so the pets that are ready for adoption are taken to a photographic studio to have their photos professionally taken there, showing a “positive happy go lucky animal” that anyone would want to take home. They are finding as a result of this new process adoption rates are going up – which is great news for its organizers and an idea that is catching on.

GPS collars are one of the most innovative and useful things to come along in some time. They will overtime reduce the numbers of pets that go lost each year and ergo reduce shelter populations nationwide. If you are in the market for one of these collars it is important to know what exactly you want out of this product as many come with more “bells and whistles” than one would really need. Many health monitoring features which can be useful, but for many all any dog or cat owner wants is there loving pet home safe and secure.

Both these advances in product and in facility are doing a great service in making a difference in reducing the number of dogs and cats lost each year and giving those that have not been claimed a better chance at adoption. They are addressing both the symptom and the disease making for a safer and more secure future for our furry four-legged members of our family.