www.hsus.org www.humaneteen.org

Pets for LifeA Look at the Relationship Between Peopleand Their Companion Animals

A study and activity guide for high-school students and their teachers

© 2003 NAHEE. Pets for Life is published by the NationalAssociation for Humane and Environmental Education(NAHEE), youth education division of The Humane Society ofthe United States (HSUS), and Humane Society Press. Toreceive additional copies (available for $5 each) or to learnabout other materials for high-school students, write to TheHSUS Youth Education Division, P.O. Box 362, East Haddam,CT 06423-0362. E-mail: nahee@nahee.org. Pets for Life mayalso be viewed and downloaded at www.humaneteen.org.

For more information on companion animals and animal pro-tection issues, write to The HSUS, 2100 L Street, NW, Wash-ington, DC 20037, or call (202) 452-1100. Visit The HSUSon the Web at www.hsus.org. For more information about TheHSUS’s Pets for Life campaign, please visit www.petsforlife.org.

Pets for LifeA Look at the Relationship

Between People and Their Companion AnimalsA study and activity guide for high-school students and their teachers

Table of ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Our Animal Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Celebrating Dogs and Cats . . . . . . . . . .6Noble Companions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19The Best of the Rest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Animal Shelters: A Haven in Need . . . . .27Companion Animals and the Law . . . . . .34Be a Best Friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Editor…………………..Jessica VanaseReviewers ……………Bill DeRosa

Andrew Rowan, Ph.D.Stephanie ShainLesia Winiarskyj

Designer……………….Deborah Prater

Printed on recycled paperMEMBER 2002-03

West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of The HSUS’s registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State, State Capitol,Charleston, WV 25305. Registration does not imply endorsement by the State. Virginia residents may obtain a copy of The HSUS’s financialstatement from the State Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Richmond, VA 23209. FLORIDARESIDENTS MAY OBTAIN A COPY OF THE HSUS’S OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FROM THE DIVISION OFCONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING 1-800-435-7352 WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL,OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Maryland residents may obtain a copy of The HSUS’s current financial statement from the MarylandSecretary of State by contacting The HSUS, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, (202) 452-1100.

ISBN 0-941246-24-8

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Where in this wide world can a man find nobility without pride, friendshipwithout envy or beauty without vanity? Here: where grace is laced with muscle and strength by gentleness confined. He serves without servility; hehas fought without enmity. There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent; there is nothing so quick, nothing less patient.

—from “Ode to the Horse” by Ronald Duncan

The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfishworld, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrate-ful or treacherous, is his dog. A man’s dog stands by him in prosperityand poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold groundwhen the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only to benear his master’s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, hewill lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the rough-ness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he werea prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take

wing, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love asthe sun in its journey through the heavens.

—Senator George G. Vest,speaking to a jury about a dog,Old Drum, who died in 1869

Time spent with cats is never wasted. By associating withthe cat, one only risks becoming richer. I am indebted to the

species of the cat for a particular kind of honorable deceit, fora great control over myself, for a characteristic aversion to brutal

sounds, and for the need to keep silent for long periods of time. Ourperfect companions never have fewer than four feet.

—French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette

nimals have been our friends and helpers forthousands of years. They’ve shared our

burdens, added to our joy, and showed usthe true meaning of friendship. If you’ve been fortu-nate enough to experience a positive relationshipwith an animal—whether it be cat, dog, horse, para-keet, rabbit, or any number of small critters—thenyou know that the bond between people and com-panion animals is one to be protected and cherished.

As the largest animal protection organization in theworld, The Humane Society of the United States(HSUS) strives to help all animals. Our efforts to

help companion animals include support servicesfor animal shelters nationwide, educational pro-grams to combat animal cruelty, and legislativeefforts to end practices that exploit and harm ani-mals, such as greyhound racing and puppy mills.Our Pets for Life campaign seeks to preserve thespecial bond between people and companion ani-mals. To that end, it offers a variety of programs toempower pet caregivers to solve the problems thatthreaten their relationships with pets. For moreinformation about The HSUS and its programs,please visit www.hsus.org.

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Our Animal Friends

Education: The First Step

All positive change begins with knowledge. That’swhy our youth education division, the NationalAssociation for Humane and Environmental Educa-tion, endeavors to teach young people about theimportant issues facing animals today. One of theways we do that is through our series of study andactivity guides for high-school students and theirteachers. (View our other study and activity guidesonline at www.humaneteen.org. See “Get Into the

Issues.”) Petsfor Life willhelp you learnmore aboutthe furry,feathered,and finnedfriends withwhom weshare ourlives, theimportantrole animal

shelters play in helping them, and simple, effective

If you undertake one of the projectsor activities in this book, write tous about yourexperience. Wemay feature you in HumaneTeen,www.humaneteen.org, our websitefor teens active in animal protec-tion. To be considered, send yourname, age, and a brief descriptionof your project or activity tohumaneteen@nahee.org.

ways you can make a difference.

As you read through this guide, we encourage youto take time to review the critical-thinking ques-tions throughout. And consider taking up one ofthe projects or activities in the various “Explore theIssues” or“Take Action”sections.We’ve seen ittime andagain: Withenergy andenthusiasm,teens havethe potentialto make anenormous dif-ference in thelives of ani-mals, both intheir commu-nities andnationwide.Give it a try!

Pets for Life is intended to giveyou an overview of people’srelationship with pets, humaneissues affecting companion ani-mals, and ways you can helpanimals in your community. Formore information about specificanimals and pet care, pleasevisit the “Pets” section ofwww.hsus.org. Helpfulresources are also listed at the end of this guide.

There’s never been a better time to be a com-panion animal. Although all animals are con-sidered property under current U.S. laws,

most people have moved far beyond that way ofthinking. Today, animals are more likely to be treat-ed as companions, confidantes, coworkers, andfamily members than ever before. About 62% of allAmerican households include at least one compan-ion animal, which means more than 63 millionhomes in the United States have a pet.

A Look at Pet Caregivers

Before we go on to discuss pets, let’s take a look atthe people who choose to include them in theirfamilies. (When possible, we’ve replaced the com-monly used phrase “pet owner” with “caregiver”throughout to reflect The HSUS’s belief that com-panion animals should be treated as friends andfamily members, not as property.) Every year, ani-

mal-related organizations, such as the AmericanVeterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and theAmerican Pet Products Manufacturers Association(APPMA), determine the demographics (statisticaldata of a population) of pet caregivers. Here arejust a few of those results:

• Families with children between the ages of 5 and17 are the most likely to have pets; people leastlikely to have pets are singles and the elderly.

Number of pets in U.S., 2001-2002

Pet Population

Cats 73,000,000

Dogs 68,000,000

Fish 165,000,000

Birds 19,000,000

Small animals 19,000,000Source: American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, Inc.

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• Highest rates ofpet caregiving are inthe Mountain Pacificand West SouthCentral regions ofthe U.S. The lowestrates are in the Mid-dle Atlantic, SouthAtlantic, and NewEngland regions.

• The more peoplein a family, the lessemotionally attachedthey are to theirpets.

• Cat caregivers report less attachment to theircats than dog caregivers do to their dogs.

• Women report more attachment to pets than domen.

• Households with yearly incomes under $30,000report more emotional attachment to pets than dohouseholds with incomes over $50,000. Similarly,college graduates report less attachment to petsthan do people with less education.

• Dog caregivers spend an average of $196 annuallyin veterinary expenses; cat caregivers spend $104annually.Source: State of the Animals 2003

Another survey by the APPMA determined howcaregivers acquired their cats and dogs. Theyfound that about 74% of dogs were acquired fromsources that typically required some forethoughtand planning, such as from a breeder, an animalshelter, or a pet store. Interestingly, only 38% ofcats were acquired with forethought. Instead, mostpeople received their cats from friends or relativesor took in strays on a whim. This information is sig-nificant because it may play a role in pet relinquish-ment, discussed at length in “Animal Shelters: AHaven in Need,” later in this guide.

Think About It

• Why, do you suppose, do the AVMA andAPPMA compile pet caregiver demographics?

• Which, if any, pet caregiver demographics listedabove surprise you? Explain.

• Why might animal protection organizations beparticularly interested in how caregivers acquiretheir pets?

Explore the Issues

Do pets resemble their caregivers? Are there reallypersonality differ-ences between“dog people” and“cat people”? Aredogs who areclosely attachedto their care-givers less able tosolve problems?Researchers arehard at workanswering these fascinating questions (and manyothers) about the relationship between people andcompanion animals. Keep up-to-date with the lat-est human/animal research with Anthrozoös, thejournal of the International Society for Anthrozool-ogy (ISAZ), and Society and Animals, the journal ofhuman-animal studies published by Psychologistsfor the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PSYETA). Ifyour school library does not subscribe to thesequarterly publications, ordering information forAnthrozoös is available at www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAB/anthro~1.htm. Ordering information andarticle summaries for Society and Animals are avail-able at www.psyeta.org/sa/.

A Special Bond

Given that pets often require a significant amountof time, money, and energy, why do so many peo-ple go to the effort of establishing such closebonds with companion animals? Perhaps the easi-est and most widely accepted answer is that ani-mals offer that rarest of commodities: uncondition-al love. Unlike people, pets don’t care what we looklike, how much money we make, what mistakeswe’ve made, or what grades we earn. Whether we’vehad a bad day at school or on the job, pets greetus affectionately and hang on our every word oncewe walk through the door. The world around usmay always be changing, but our companion ani-mals’ love for us stays the same. As the followingsurvey indicates, the vast majority of people keeppets for emotional reasons.

What other fun or interestingstatistics can you uncoverabout people and pets? Con-duct your own investigationonline. Enter phrases such as“pet survey,” “attitudes towardpets,” and “pet statistics” intoa search engine. Some of theresults are sure to surprise you—and bring a smileto your face.

Think About It

• Of all the animal species in the world, what fac-tors may have influenced why we have developedsuch a close relationship with dogs? Cats? Hors-es?

• Which of the following best describes the kindof relationship you have with the animals in yourlife: master-subject, owner-property, friend-com-panion, or parent-child?

• One of the most telling signs that pets areviewed differently from animals in the wild is thatwe assign names to pets. Doing so gives eachanimal his or her own identity and personalityand puts the animal on the same level as peoplewe know and care about. Interestingly, the nameswe give to our pets often have stories or memo-ries attached to them. If you have a pet, what ishis or her name? Why did you name your petthat? What, if anything, does the name say abouthow you view the animal? About how you viewyourself?

Most Popular Pet Names

1. Max 2. Sam 3. Lady 4. Bear 5. Smokey 6. Shadow 7. Kitty 8. Molly 9. Buddy 10. Brandy 11. Ginger 12. Baby 13. Misty 14. Missy 15. Pepper 16. Jake 17. Bandit 18. Tiger 19. Samantha 20. Lucky 21. Muffin 22. Princess23. Maggie 24. Charlie 25. Sheba 26. Rocky 27. Patches 28. Tigger 29. Rusty 30. Buster Source: ASPCA

Take Action

In the “Think About It” above, we asked you aboutthe significance of your pet’s name. Alexa Albert, aresearcher from the University of Rhode Island,took that question to 320 pet caregivers in Provi-

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Reasons people give % of pet for having pets caregivers

For the pleasure of having [the pet] 79To give love to 67To cheer home 64To receive love from 63As an adult’s companion 60As a child’s companion 46To have something to take care of 34For protection 33To teach a child responsibility 29To keep another pet company 20To control rodents 11For breeding 3For entering in pet shows 2Source: Doyle Dane Bernbach, Inc.. 1983

As highly social animals, humans need to connectwith and establish relationships with others. Com-panion animals give us an opportunity to bring theadage “friends are chosen family” to life. Many petcaregivers consider their animals members of thefamily—and treat them that way, too! (It’s no won-der that “Baby” is one of the most popular petnames.) In studies, researchers have observed simi-larities between the way people treat infants orsmall children and companion animals. For example,they tend to use a higher-pitched voice and asksimple, repetitive questions when speaking to pets,in a pet caregiver’s version of “baby talk.” Likewise,games in which people engage pets—catch, peek-a-boo, and hide-and seek—tend to be like thoseplayed with small children.

Explore the Issues

Some recent surveys show just how Americans feelabout their pets: 63% give their dogs presents atChristmas, and 75%take them for rides inthe family car; 65% ofcat owners share theirbeds with snoozingcats. More than athird of all pet care-givers display their pets’ photos at home (GallupOrganization, 1996). And according to a PsychologyToday survey, 99% of pet owners talk to their pets,and 25% celebrate their pets’ birthday.

dence. She discovered that dogs were more likelyto have been given human names than were cats.She also found that people who considered theirpets “family members” or “extremely/very impor-tant” were significantly more likely to not only havepets with human names but also nicknames. Albertconcluded that pet names were an indicator of ani-mals’ status within the household.

Does Albert’s theory hold up in your community?Conduct a simple survey of pet caregivers in yourcommunity. To get a more accurate picture, it’s bestto interview as many people as possible. (For helpanalyzing your data, you may wish to seek the helpof a math or science teacher.) A sample surveyappears below.

Name of pet __________________________________

Type of pet ___________________________________

I consider my pet a member of the family.

❏ agree ❏ agree somewhat ❏ disagree

I consider my pet ❏ extremely important

❏ very important ❏ somewhat important

❏ not important

I regularly use a nickname for my pet ❏ yes ❏ no

Feel free to add questions in an attempt to uncovercorrelations between pet names and other aspectsof the human-pet relationship. For example, arepets with human names more likely to be allowed tosleep in their caregivers’ bed? More likely to begiven birthday gifts? Less likely to be allowed toroam?

Does your data support Albert’s theory? Contra-dict it? Consider sending the results of your surveyto us at humaneteen@nahee.org. We may publishit in HumaneTeen.

More Than Friends

They provide love and companionship, a listeningear, cuddles, and hugs. They bring laughter andplay into our lives. Some pets even make us exer-cise when we’re feeling lazy. Instinctively, pet care-givers just know that pets are good for people. Inrecent years, research has been backing up thosebeliefs and proving companion animals can benefitpeople in tangible ways. In particular, many studies

have been undertaken todetermine the effects ofcompanion animals onhuman health. While thisfield of research—oftendubbed the human-animalbond, or simply “thebond”—is relatively new,

the results so far are promising. For example, takethe relationship between blood pressure and animalcompanionship. Numerous studies have shown thatwhile talking to people causes blood pressure torise, talking to and touching pets lowers it. (Exactlywhy this happens is unknown, but it has been sug-gested that pets’ nonjudgmental and affectionatenature decrease stress, long believed to raise bloodpressure.) Other studies have shown similarly posi-tive results. Based on those studies, scientists havefound that having pets decreases the chances ofdying from heart disease; pet caregivers have lowercholesterol and triglyceride levels; and people withAIDS who have pets experience reduced stress andless depression. This area of research is continuallygrowing. To help you keep up with current researchon the health benefits of animals, we’ve includedseveral resources for you to investigate.

Think About It

Do you think it is important to study the effectsof companion animals on human health? Why orwhy not?

Pets are also known for helping people in socialsettings. As icebreakers and image-makers, com-panion animals serve an important role in helpingpeople make friends and practice social skills. Forexample, virtually anyone who’s had a dog hasexperienced the social lubricating effect of petsat one time or another: While walking a dog, peo-ple are often smiled at by strangers, asked to petthe dog, and told stories about strangers’ ownpets. Researchers have investigated pets’ roles associal facilitators and have found that people withpets are actually perceived by others as moreattractive and as having more desirable personalitycharacteristics. The classic example, of course, isthat politicians are considered more trustworthywhen pictured with pets. (President Nixon’s dog,Checkers, is often credited with boosting hisimage!) Various studies have also proven what com-

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mon sense tells us: People are simply more likely tobe noticed and spoken to when they’re with theircompanion animals.

Still other research has focused on the success ofanimal-assisted therapy (AAT). An ever-growingfield, AAT seeks to improve the social, mental, emo-tional, and physical well-being of people through

interaction withanimals. The AATprograms youmay be mostfamiliar with arethose in whichnursing home res-idents enjoy regu-lar visits from vol-unteer dogs, cats,and even rabbits.But animals arealso increasingly

being used in programs to help disabled andabused children, prisoners, students with learningdisabilities, and people with a wide range of med-ical conditions, from cerebral palsy to traumaticbrain injury. (For more about the role of horses inAAT, see “Horses as Healers,” p. 21.) While themajority of these programs do not record data ormeasure results, studies have shown that AAT pro-grams offer many benefits, among them reducingthe loneliness of residents in long-term care facili-ties and increasing people’s social and verbal inter-actions.

Think About It

Companion animals have been compared withpsychotherapists, who listen and empathize butdon’t make judgments. How might this character-istic help abused or troubled children in AAT pro-grams reconnect with people and heal from trau-matic events?

Do you think it is important for people involvedin AAT programs to record information and par-ticipate in studies? Explain your answer.

Explore the Issues

Can an Appaloosa a day keep the doctor away? Do

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a little digging into the fascinating field of animal-assisted therapy. For a social studies or Englishclass, prepare a presentation that explores AAT andits role within your community. Ask a local animal-assisted therapist to speak to your class about hisor her experiences working with others. Some greatsources of information include Delta Society,www.deltasociety.org, Tufts Center for Animalsand Public Policy, www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/publist1.html, and the Center for the Human-Animal Bond,www.vet.purdue.edu/chab.

Take Action

If you’re interested in taking part in an AAT pro-gram (and think your pet would be great at it), visitwww.deltasociety.org to learn more about theopportunities available. The organization also offersa video and educational material to help train yourpet to be a suitable helper. If you do becomeinvolved in AAT, e-mail humaneteen@nahee.org.We may feature you in www.humaneteen.org!

Think About It

Animal shelters, whose common goal is findinggood homes for the animals in their care, are typ-ically categorized as one of two types. Open-admission shelters (also called open-door)accept every animal coming through their doorsbut often have to euthanize (humanely kill)unadopted animals to make space for others.Limited-admission (also called “no-kill”) shel-ters do not euthanize animals they feel arehealthy and adoptable but may turn away animalsbecause they have no room or because the ani-mals are considered unadoptable. Before you goany further, write down your opinions and feel-ings aboutboth typesof shelters.We’ll comeback toyour state-ments laterin thisbook.

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Celebrating Dogs and Cats

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Their fuzzy faces help sell products from carsto cola. Greeting cards abound with photosof them in every imaginable shape and size.

Their photos and stories fill our comic strips, maga-zines, books, television screens, and websites.When it comes to caring about animals, it’s rainingcats and dogs in America. More people have dogsand cats than any other pet, making them the mostpopular pets in the U.S. (Though more fish arekept as pets than any other, only about 12% ofU.S. households have them.) More than a third ofall U.S. households include a dog or a cat. Herewe’ll take a look at our canine and feline friendsand explore some of the issues that face them.

About DogsWith their soul-

ful eyes,thumping

tails, andfriendlynature,dogs

haveshared a

longer rela-tionship with

people than anyother companion

animal. There are some68 million pet dogs inthe U.S. Based on thediscovery of human and

dog fossils and cave drawings depicting dogs,experts believe that dogs and people have enjoyeda special relationship for at least 12,000 years.Most scientists now agree that all dogs aredescended from wolves. The most popular theoryholds that the two species forged a bond thou-sands of years ago, when wolves began hanging outnear human families to feed on the scraps anddebris they left behind. Eventually, people begantaming wolf cubs and breeding those with the mostsubmissive or affectionate natures. Over thousandsof years, those wolves became today’s domesticat-ed dogs.

Think About It

Wolves have been around for 5 million years andhave been hunted nearly to extinction. Dogs havebeen around for just 12,000 years or so, and yettheir numbers continue to rise. What do you sup-pose accounts for the difference in each animal’sability to succeed?

A Dog for Every Purpose

From pug to puli to Pomeranian, it’s hard to believethat the several hundreddog breeds that exist todaydescended from one com-mon ancestor. Throughselective breeding for traitssuch as bone structure, furtype, personality, and func-tion, people have managedto mold dogs into a widevariety of sizes, shapes, andabilities. Today, purebred

dogs—those whose parents are of the samebreed—are typically categorized into groups,according totheir function.The AmericanKennel Club(AKC) uses theseven groupsbelow to classi-fy the 150breeds it recog-nizes. Otherbreed registryorganizations(such as theUnited KennelClub) use dif-ferent groupdesignations.

The houndgroup includessome of theoldest knownpurebred dogs.

Fast Facts: DogsFamily: CanidaeSpecies: Canis familiaris

Relatives: wolf,fox, coyote, jackal

Life span: 8 to 16years

Pet population inU.S.: 68 million

Another Point of ViewAuthors Lorna and RaymondCoppinger disagree with thepopular theorythat peopleshaped wolvesinto today’sdomesticateddogs. Instead,they arguethat domesticdogs evolved as a result of nat-ural selection, with no help fromhumans. Read their fascinatingtheories about domestic dogs inDogs: A New Understandingof Canine Origin, Behavior,and Evolution (Chicago, IL:University of Chicago Press,2001).

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out game for hunters.Retrievers’ soft mouthsallow them to retrieve birdswithout damaging thebody. Bred to work closelywith people, sporting dogsare known for their train-ability and good nature.This group includes someof the U.S.’s most popularbreeds, such as goldenretrievers and Labrador retrievers.

Think About It

Top Ten Dog Breeds Registered by the AKC,2001

1. Labrador retriever2. golden retriever3. German shepherd4. dachshund5. beagle6. Yorkshire terrier7. poodle8. boxer9. Chihuahua

10. Shih Tzu

• Take a look at the current “Top Ten” list of reg-istered dogs. What kinds of events or publicitydo you think might alter the list? What trends inpurebred dog ownership, if any, have you noticedin your community? How might increased popu-larity negatively affect a specific dog breed?

• Do you think that purebred dogs have morestatus than mixed-breeds? For example, whatqualities or characteristics come to mind whenyou think of a German shepherd? A Labradorretriever? A cocker spaniel? A mixed-breed dog?

• Some people acquire dogs as status symbols.What kinds of images can a dog help people por-tray? How might acquiring a dog as a status sym-bol cause problems for both dogs and people?

The terrier group earns its name from the Latinword for earth, terra. Terriers were developed to“go to ground” in pursuit of small prey such as rats,badgers, foxes, and otters. Many of the terrierbreeds were developed in England over the past100 years. From the largest of terriers, theAiredale, to the smaller border terriers and Norwich

The greyhound, Ibizanhound, and pharaohhound were popularhunting dogs inancient Egypt, and theelegant Saluki can betraced back more than7,000 years to Sume-ria. Scent hounds,which include bassetthounds and blood-hounds, share similarfeatures, such as flop-py ears, long muzzles,and powerful noses, to aid them in tracking prey byscent. Bred to chase down prey, sight hounds, suchas Afghan hounds, Salukis, and greyhounds, wereselectively bred to have lightly built bodies, excel-lent vision, and amazing speed.

Explore the Issues

A portrait of a pouty spaniel on his mistress’s lap.An elegant sculpture of a hound at rest. An oilpainting of hounds on the hunt. Around the world,dogs have been celebrated in art, from ancient cavedrawings to modern paintings. Research and writean art history paper about dogs as subjects in art.What can you surmise about the changing percep-tion of dogs, given how they are represented in theworks you have studied? For excellent resources ondogs in art, you may wish to check out IainZaczek’s Dog: A Dog’s Life in Art and Literature (NewYork: Watson-GuptillPublications, 2000) andRobert Rosenblum’s TheDog in Art: From Rococoto Post-Modernism (NewYork: Harry N. Abrams,Inc., 1988). Commercialwebsites that sell artprints, such aswww.art.com andwww.allposters.com,may also be useful in your research.

________________________________________

The sporting group includes retrievers, spaniels,setters, and pointers. Developed for hunting, sport-ing dogs usually perform one particular function,whether it’s detecting or retrieving birds or flushing

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terriers, these dogs areknown for their pluckyspirit, high energy, andexcellent digging abili-ties.

The working groupincludes heavily built,powerful dogs such asAkitas, Siberian huskies,Great Danes, and St.Bernards. Though dogs

from other breed groups are used in different jobs,the working group includes only those historicallyused for guarding, rescue work, and sledding. Not

surprisingly,many of the dogbreeds in thisgroup have beenused in wartime.

The herdinggroup, as itsname implies,consists of dogsdeveloped tohelp peoplemanage and

protect livestock. Though modern methods of ani-mal agriculture have greatly reduced the use ofherding dogs, these dogs remain popular for otherreasons, thanks to their agility and intelligence.Herding dogs include the German shepherd, OldEnglish sheepdog, the rough collie, and the bordercollie, who is extremely popular in agility trials andflying disc competitions.

The non-sport-ing group issometimesdescribed as the“catch-all” group,as it includesthose dogs whowere eitherdeveloped for noparticular purpose or are no longer used in theiroriginally intended capacity. In order words, it con-sists of dogs who don’t fit into any other category.Not surprisingly, then, this group is very diverse,ranging from Dalmatians and bulldogs to poodles

and Lhasa Apsos, among others.

The toy groupconsists of smalldogs developedfor their roles ashuman compan-ions and lapdogs.Many of thesedogs, such as thePekingese, Mal-tese, and Italiangreyhound, were the cherished pets of royalty. Toydogs are characterized by their small size andfriendly nature. This group includes pugs, ShihTzus, miniature pinschers, and Chihuahuas, theworld’s smallest dogs.

Think About It

When it comes to dogs, how would you defineintelligence? Would it be a willingness to learnand obey commands? The ability to solve prob-lems? A strong personality that refuses to bendto human will?

Visit www.petri.com/dogint and see what breedsof dogs are considered the most—and least—intelligent. From personal experience, do youagree with this list? Why or why not? What doyou think the author of this list used as his basisfor intelligence?

Problems with Purebreds?

When it comes time to add a dog to their family,many people choose to purchase a purebred dog.The AKC, the largestdog registry organiza-tion in the U.S., recog-nizes 150 kinds of pure-bred dogs. Worldwide,some 400 breeds arerecognized. Some peo-ple seek a specificbreed because theyhave a job in mind forthe dog: protection,herding, hunting. Oth-ers select purebred dogs for their looks or pre-sumed personalities. Importance may be given tothe fact that the dog “has papers”—that is, the

Snoopy. Marmaduke. Odie.Beethoven. Scooby Doo. Rin TinTin. Old Yeller. Millie. What dothese dogs all have in common?They’re all famous, whether it’sin the comics, television, movies,literature, or the White House.For an index of other famousdogs, see www.citizenlunch-box.com/famous/dogs.html.

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Marvelous MuttsDogs don’t need pedigrees to be perfect companions. Mixed-breeddogs—those whose parents are not the same breeds or who aremixed-breeds themselves—are as loving and intelligent as the rest.Thanks to “hybrid vigor,” mixed-breed dogs often enjoy better overallhealth and life spans than purebred dogs. Whether you’re looking toadopt a mixed-breed dog, need information on mutts, or want tosponsor an event to promote their adoption, visit www.maydayformutts.org. Created by Karen Derrico, author of Unforgettable Mutts: Pure of Heart, Not ofBreed, Mayday For Mutts is a holiday intended to increase the adoption of mixed-breed, older, and spe-cial-needs dogs, put an end to “canine discrimination” toward mutts, and educate the public about theneed for spaying and neutering to reduce the pet overpopulation problem.

Health and temperament problems are sometimesnoted in purebreds, often as a result of carelessbreeding practices. For example, many Dalmatiansare born deaf; German shepherds and Rottweilersoften suffer from hip problems; many collies haveeye diseases; dachshunds frequently have backproblems. Undesirable personality qualities, includ-ing aggression, nervousness, and extreme shyness,may also show up in dogs who have not been bredwell. Conscientious breeders eliminate dogs withsuch problems from their breeding programs.

If you’re looking for a purebred pet, The HSUSencourages you to first contact a breed placement(rescue) group or your local animal shelter. If you’restill interested in purchasing a pet from a profes-sional breeder, do some homework first. To find areputable breeder, talk with veterinarians, seek outlocal dog and cat clubs, and visit official dog showsand/or agility trials. Here are some things to look for.

Signs of a reputable, responsible breeder:

• breeds only one or two breeds and knows thebreed standards for both • includes the animals in the family and allows theanimals to live in the home • will not sell animals to pet stores or in any otherway that does not allow the breeder to meet andinterview prospective purchasers• sells pets with contracts requiring that the ani-mals be spayed or neutered unless they are deter-mined to be “show quality” and will be activelycompeting in dog shows• educates buyers about the breed and responsiblepet care and remains available for support after thesale

dog has been registered with the AKC or anotherbreed registry organization. Animal protection

organizationspoint out thatbeing regis-tered doesnot ensurethat a dog willbe of goodquality. Regis-tration papersstate only therecorded lin-eage of a dog.It does notmatter if thedogs are suit-able forbreeding or ifthe dogs ortheir puppiesare healthy.“Havingpapers” meansthat a puppy’sparents arepurebred, notnecessarilythat the par-ents arehealthy or of

high quality. Even the AKC notes that it “is notitself involved in the sale of dogs and cannot there-fore guarantee the health and quality of dogs in itsregistry.”

The Humane Society of theUnited States Complete Guideto Dog Care

By Marion S. Laneand the staff of TheHumane Society ofthe United States(Boston: Little,Brown, 2001).

Looking for a dog? Have a ques-tion about your pooch? Ask yourschool librarian to order a copy ofThe Humane Society of theUnited States Complete Guide toDog Care, which provides tips andinformation about various aspectsof dog caregiving, includingchoosing the right dog, preparingfor a dog’s arrival, training andsocialization, and selecting a vet-erinarian. This 390-page bookalso offers important advice aboutresponsible pet care and suggestssimple ways you can model appro-priate pet care to others.

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• tests for genetic problems and offers to show theofficial test results• requires that if the new family is unable to keepthe pet, he or she will be returned to the breeder,no matter what the pet’s age

You can also contact The HSUS Companion Animalsand Equine Protection Section for a larger checklistof what to look for in a responsible breeder.

Think About It

• The AKC’s website states, “All dogs are wonder-ful, but purpose-bred or purebred dogs are morepredictable in many important ways than random-bred dogs and therefore make better pets.” Doyou agree with this statement? Why or why not?

• Breeders pay a fee to register their dogs, andregistration fees are a large source of income tothe AKC. How might that fact influence how theAKC regards mixed-breed dogs?

Explore the Issues

• After the release of Disney’s live-action film 101Dalmatians, people flocked to buy the spotted pupsfrom pet stores and breeders. When people real-ized that the dogs were more work than they hadbargained for—often because of tendencies towardbehavior problems, deafness, and skin conditions—they relinquished scores of Dalmatians to animalshelters and breed placement groups. Interviewyour local animal control officer and ask if he orshe has noticed any incidents of “fad pets” in yourcommunity. Ask how this problem could be avoided.Write up your interview and run it in your schoolnewspaper to educate fellow students about theproblems of fad pets.

• Compare the AKC’s current Top Ten Dog Breedslist with those compiled five and ten years ago.Which dogs have remained the most popular in thelast decade? Which dogs from past lists are nolonger ranked in the top ten? Which are new to thelist? What might account for these particularchanges?

Take Action

Adore Akitas? Love Labradors? Crazy about Cairns?If you and your family are fans of a particular breedof dog, consider becoming a foster family for abreed placement group. As a foster family, you can

provide a loving home for a purebred dog until apermanent placement is found. To locate a breedplacement group in your area, see www.shelterdog.org and www.pets911.com.

Friends and Helpers

While specific dog breeds were first developed tohelp people hunt prey and watch over flocks, dogstoday perform a remarkable variety of jobs. In addi-tion to providing companionship to people—arguably their most important “job” of all—dogsare used for police work, detection of bombs,drugs, and mines, assisting disabled people, keep-ing airport runways free of birds, and participatingin pet-facilitated therapy, among many other duties.The term “service dog” is often used to describe adog who has been specially trained to perform aspecific job.

To repeat the oft-used cliché, it’s no wonder thatdogs are called man’s best friend. Beyond providingcompanionship and affection, dogs have provenwilling and able to put our needs and desiresbefore their own. Nowhere does that become moreobvious than in the relationship between assis-tance dogs and their handlers. Recognizing the

important roles assis-tance dogs play inhelping people withdisabilities live normallives, a law called theAmericans with Disabili-ties Act allows assis-tance dogs to accom-pany their handlers intoany area accessible tothe public, whether it’sthe supermarket or themovie theater.

Assistance dogs are highly trained to perform specifictasks, depending on their handler’s disability. Guidedogs act as eyes for visually impaired people; hearingdogs act as ears for deaf people; mobility assistdogs act as arms and legs for the disabled; walkerdogs provide balance for the disabled; seizurealert/response dogs get help for people who suf-fer from seizures; and psychiatric service dogsprovide support to those with mental disabilities.

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Take Action

Before they enter official training programs, manyassistance dogs spend their puppyhoods with vol-unteer foster families who socialize them and teachthem basic obedience skills. Would you or yourfamily be able to provide a solid foundation for anassistance dog? For more information, contact anorganization for guide dogs (or other assistancedogs) in your state. A state-by-state listing is avail-able at www.thepuppyplace.org. Another goodsource of information is www.guidedogs.com.

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In addition to helping disabled people live happier,well-balanced lives, dogs have also proven invalu-able in protecting and saving lives. Many policedepartments pair officers with highly trained patroldogs who protect their partners and assist inapprehending and holding suspects. Breeds fre-quently used in K-9 work are German shepherds,Belgian Malinois, and Doberman pinschers. Thanksto their amazing sense of smell—it’s been estimat-ed that they smell at least one million times betterthan people—dogs are also frequently used innarcotics and explosives detection, search andrescue missions, and missing person searches.Accelerant detection dogs are useful in identify-ing causes of fires and possible arsonists. Breedsfrequently used for scentwork include bloodhounds,Labrador retrievers, andgolden retrievers, althoughmost kinds of dogs couldbe trained to perform suchwork. The Federal Bureauof Investigation (FBI)employs a number of dogsin its investigations; youcan read more about theirservice dogs atwww.fbi.gov/dogs.

Think About It

Many dog breeds, including Airedales, giantschnauzers, and German shepherds, have servedpeople during wartime. Other dogs are used indangerous occupations such as patrol work andbomb detection. Do you think it is morallyacceptable for people to use dogs in dangerouslines of work? Explain your answer.

Explore the Issues

Contact your local police department and ask ifthey have a K-9 unit. If so, see if you can interviewthe K-9 handler about his job and his relationshipwith his canine partner. Some questions to askinclude: How long have you and your dog beentogether? What kind of training did each of youundergo? What is your dog’s life like when he’s notworking? Can you describe a typical day in your lifeas a K-9 unit? Can you describe a time when yourdog found or apprehended a suspect? Write upyour interview for your school newspaper, or sub-mit it to your local newspaper.

Take Action

You or your animal protection club can help dogsin the line of duty by raising funds to purchase bul-let-proof vests for police dogs. Many nonprofitgroups accept donations. To see if there is one inyour area, type “bulletproof vests, dogs” into asearch engine. Another great site is www.dogvest.com, which includes a listing of state Vest-A-Dogprograms you can become involved with.

Issues Affecting Dogs

Earlier, we discussed the importance of the human-animal bond and how this relationship has benefit-ed people in numerous ways—from improving ourhealth, jumpstarting our social lives, and providingcomfort and companionship. Sadly, that specialbond is sometimes broken or distorted by peo-ple—for profit, for status, or for lack of knowledge.In this section, we’ll explore some of the specificissues that face dogs and ways you can help solvethose problems.

Let ’Em WorkWhen you see an assistance dog at work, followthese tips:

Don’t pet, feed, or call to the dog. Doing somay distract him from his work and possiblycompromise the safety of his handler.

Talk to the handler, not to the dog. If you have aquestion, comment, or concern, address itdirectly to the handler, not to his or her dog.

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Puppy Mills

Every year, puppy mills—large-scale breedingfacilities—produce thousands of purebred puppiesfor sale. Those puppies are sold either to brokersand pet stores across the country or directly to thepublic via the Internet, newspaper ads, and at thebreeding facility itself. Animal protection groups,including The HSUS, have long been outspokencritics of the substandard care that most dogsreceive in puppy mills. Puppy mill operators’ prima-ry concern is making a profit; the care of the dogsis secondary. To reduce costs and maximize profits,puppy mill operators often don’t give the dogsadequate food, shelter, or veterinary care. Docu-mented problems with puppy mills include over-breeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poorquality of food and shelter, lack of socializationwith humans, overcrowded cages, and the killing ofunwanted animals. Adult breeding dogs spend theirentire lives in puppy mills, producing litter after lit-ter of puppies. Once females are no longer able toproduce enough puppies per litter, they are com-monly killed or auctioned off cheaply to someoneintent on getting “a few more litters out of her.”The same fate awaits male dogs once they are nolonger able to mate.

Due to the poor breeding that takes place in puppymills, dogs produced there may suffer from a vari-ety of healthproblems,some ofwhich maynot appearuntil yearslater. In addi-tion, lack ofsocializationwith people may make them ill prepared to begood family pets. The HSUS and other humaneorganizations strongly oppose puppy mills andencourage people to adopt animals from sheltersor to acquire purebred dogs only from reputable,responsible breeders and breed placement (rescue)groups rather than pet stores or inexperienced“backyard” breeders.

Explore the Issues

Some animal protection groups contend that the

AKC shares some responsibility for the proliferationof puppy mills. Do you agree or disagree? Researchthe Internet to form your own opinion. Write anopinion paper on the topic and present it to yourEnglish or debate class or at your school’s animalprotection club meeting.

Take Action

Discourage people in your community from pur-chasing puppies from pet stores. Design flyers andposters explaining the connection between puppymills and pet store puppies. For more information,visit www.nopuppymills.com or www.hsus.org.Distribute your flyers at malls with pet stores andask permission to hang your posters in veterinaryoffices and pet supply stores that don’t sell dogs.Don’t forget to e-mail us at humaneteen@nahee.org and tell us about your project!

Dogfighting

Illegal in all 50 states, thecruel “sport” of dogfighting isnonetheless alive and well.Dogfights can last up to twohours and end only when oneof the dogs is no longer will-ing or able to continue.Injuries sustained by fighting dogs are frequentlysevere or fatal. Dogs often die of blood loss, shock,dehydration, exhaustion, or infection. Specificallybred and trained to fight, “pit bull” type dogs arethose most often used. However, not all “pit bull”type dogs are aggressive. When raised with kind-ness, many are loving family pets.

Besides the cruelty inherent in such events, lawenforcement officers have noted other seriousproblems as well. Illegal gambling is the norm atdogfights; dog owners and spectators bet thou-sands of dollars on the outcomes of the fights.Firearms and illegal drugs are often prevalent. Andyoung children are sometimes present at theevents, which can promote insensitivity to animalsuffering and a lack of respect for the law.

Explore the Issues

Most people are unaware of the prevalence of dog-fighting and the dangers it brings to communities.Research the problem and ways you can teach oth-ers about it at www.AnimalFighting.org. While

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you’re there, check out The HSUS’s undercovervideo. Be advised that the video contains graphicfootage of fighting and injured dogs.

Greyhound Racing

Greyhounds are one of the world’s oldest breeds ofdog—and one of the fastest. These gentle, grace-ful dogs are capable of running at speeds up to 40

miles per hour.Unfortunately,the greyhoundracing industryis responsiblefor the deaths of

as many as 20,000 greyhounds each year. Whendogs are no longer fast enough to race, or if pup-pies are determined unlikely to win at the track,they are often killed. As with any business, profit isthe bottom line in greyhound racing; therefore,greyhounds are often killed with the least expensivemethods, including gunshot, bludgeoning, and star-vation. Other documented problems occur in thegreyhound racing industry as well. Dogs spend themajority of their adult lives in crates, pens, orfenced enclosures with limited human companion-ship. And greyhound training activities continue tocause many domestic rabbits and wild jackrabbitsto be maimed and killed every year, although suchpractices are illegal.

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, many “retired”greyhounds are adopted into loving homes, wherethey make wonderful companions. But adoptionalone is not the answer to the problem. There willnever be enough homes for all the greyhounds pro-duced by the industry each year. That’s why TheHSUS and other animal protection organizationsare actively working on legislation to ban grey-hound racing in the states that still allow it.

Think About It

How might the greyhound racing industry affectanimals waiting for homes in animal shelters?

Take Action

Never attend greyhound races and urge others toavoid them as well. Consider taking your compas-sion a bit further by fostering greyhounds untilsuitable homes are found for them or by launchingan effort to ban greyhound racing in your state. For

ideas and information, see www.hsus.org. For moreinformation about adopting a greyhound, visitwww.adopt-a-greyhound.org.

Ear Cropping and Tail Docking

Ever wonder why some Doberman pinschers’ earsstand perfectly straight, while others’ flop? Or whyso many terriers sport such curiously short, round-ed tails? Hint: These dogs aren’t born that way.Many purebred dogs have their ears cropped andtheir tails docked to meet breed standards. Crop-ping usually involves cutting off part of a youngdog’s ears and bracing and bandaging themstraight up while the wounds heal so that the earsremain upright and pointed. Docking removes theend of puppies’ tails usually when they are just afew days old. Though few, if any, practical argu-ments exist in support of ear cropping, supportersof tail docking argue that the practice helps hunt-ing dogs avoid painful tail damage while pursuinggame through heavy vegetation. They also claimthat docking helps keep longhaired breeds cleaneraround the tail area.

The HSUS opposes surgery on dogs when donesolely for the cosmetic preference of the ownerand without benefit to the animal himself. Althoughthe AKC does not require cropping and docking, itstill allows individual dog show judges the power topenalize uncropped ears and undocked tails in theshow ring. The AKC also openly encourages theseas standards for breeds and shows pictures of thebreeds in these “ideal” forms.

Think About It

Ear cropping is illegal in the United Kingdom,Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, andSouth Africa. Similarly, tail docking is against thelaw in 13 European countries.

In the U.S., ear cropping and tail docking arecontroversial but allowed by law and acceptableto the AKC. According to the AKC’s Canine Legis-lation Position Statements, “ear cropping, taildocking, and dewclaw removal, as described incertain breed standards, are acceptable practicesintegral to defining and preserving breed charac-ter and/or enhancing good health.” Why, do youthink, are practices such as ear cropping frownedupon in some parts of the world and regarded asdesirable in others?

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Dog Tethering

The scene is a familiar one: In a backyard, an “out-side” dog spends all his days on the end of a chain,receiving little, if any, attention. Sadly, dog tether-ing—tying dogs outside for long periods oftime—is a fairly common form of pet neglect.Many caregivers tether their dogs because theydon’t know how to deal with behavior issues orhousetraining problems. Some see tying a dog outas a way of protecting their property by deterringtrespassers. Others simply know of no better wayto keep their dogs from roaming.

Whatever the reason,dog tethering causesdogs to suffer greatly.As pack animals, dogsare social creatureswho long to be withtheir families. Withoutadequate shelter,tethered dogs areexposed to badweather. If they’relucky enough to havefood and water dishes

that are filled regularly, it’s still common for theirchains to overturn the dishes, leaving the dogshungry and thirsty. Tethered dogs are also at risk ofbeing attacked by other dogs or wild animals andteased by cruel people.

Dog tethering can also be annoying and dangerousfor people who live nearby. It should come as nosurprise that tethered dogs often receive little orno training, attention, or socialization. As a result,they usually don’t know how to behave aroundpeople or other animals. Out of boredom, tethereddogs may bark constantly. They are also notorious-ly territorial. They may lunge at passersby or bitepeople and animals who come within reach of theirchain, in order to protect their small space.

As people become more aware of the problemswith dog tethering and the risks it presents tocommunities, they are making efforts to outlaw dogtethering. The practice is already banned in severalU.S. counties, thanks to the efforts of concernedcitizens and local humane societies.

Take Action

If you know of a tethered dog in your community,don’t try to confront the owner yourself. Reportthe situation to your local humane society or ani-mal control officer. For more information on how tohelp dog caregivers treat their dogs better, contactthe Companion Animals and Equine ProtectionSection at The HSUS at (202) 452-1100.

About CatsMove over, Rover.In 2001, therewere some 73million pet cats inthe U.S., makingthem thenation’s mostpopular pet.(Though morepeople havedogs than cats,households withcats are morelikely to havemultiple cats,which accounts

for their higherpopulation.) The

rise in cats’ popularity has been attributed toAmericans’ changing lifestyle: from houses to apart-ments, one-income families to two-income families,forty-hour work weeks to longer work weeks. Theseclever and friendly creatures can be wonderful com-panions for city and country dwellers alike.

Friends in Time of Need

The domestication of the cat is almost as interest-ing as the animal himself. Nestled in the Nile Rivervalley, ancient Egypt hasbeen credited with some ofthe world’s most importantachievements. But perhapsmost impressive—at leastto cat lovers—is thedomestication of the cat.Between 7000 and 5000B.C., African wildcats beganliving near human settle-ments along the Nile River.

Fast Facts: CatsFamily: FelidaeSpecies: Felis catusRelatives: tiger,

lion, bobcat, cheetah

Life span: 12 to 18 years

Pet population in U.S.: 73 million

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Declawing CatsMany people decide to declaw their cats as a way of preventing them from damaging their furniture andcarpets. But declawing is hardly a simple operation. Instead of removing just the cat’s claws, declawing—or onychectomy—involves full amputation of the first bone on each digit of the paw. By comparison, it’slike having your fingers cut off at the top joint. The HSUS opposes declawing when done solely for theconvenience of the owner and without benefit to the animal, which is the most common situation. Manyanimal shelters ask prospective cat adopters to sign a contract stating that they will not have the catdeclawed. With regular nail trimming, a scratching post, and patient training, most destructive scratchingcan be eliminated. Declawing should be considered only as a last resort, when all other options havebeen exhausted.

The clever creatures had discovered that whereverpeople lived, so did rats and other tasty rodents,who fed on crops and grain supplies. In ancientEgypt, rodents were a major threat to food sup-plies. Egyptians observedthat the small cats roamingaround possessed excellenthunting abilities. Before long,they were depending on thesociable, graceful animals tohelp protect their crops andgrain from certain destruc-tion by rodents. They beganwelcoming cats into theirhomes—and into theirhearts. Steadily and surely,cats began the slow process of domestication. Peo-ple began breeding cats who were friendlier andwell-adapted to living with humans. Over thousandsof years, cats have developed into the affectionatecompanions they are today. Intelligent and mysteri-ous, playful and independent, they’re among themost fascinating of all animals to observe.

Explore the Issues

Ancient Egypt enjoyed a love affair with the cat likeno other. To mourn the loss of their feline friends,Egyptians shaved their own eyebrows. Wanting tokeep the pleasure of cats’ company all to them-selves, they forbade the exportation of cats toother countries. They couldn’t bear to part withthem even at death—beloved cats were entombedwith their owners.

But cats haven’t always enjoyed such devotion.Throughout history, they’ve been vilified as demonsand scapegoats. Research societal attitudes andspiritual beliefs about cats in different cultures and

at different times in history. (The timeline on p.17may help in your research.) Present your findings inan oral report for a social studies class.

Think About It

• People have developed cats into a number ofbreeds, from the sleek, vocal Oriental breeds tolarge, fluffy Maine coons and Persians. Comparethe numbers of registered purebred cats anddogs: The Cat Fanciers’ Association, a purebredcat registry, registered about 69,000 purebredcats in 1996. That same year, the AKC registered1.3 million dogs. What factors might account forthe difference?

• How do you think Edward Lowe’s 1947 inven-tion—cat litter—changed our relationship withcats?

Free-Roaming Cats

Unfortunately, cats’ independent nature leads manypeople to believe that they can take care of them-selves, indoors and out. You’ve probably heard itbefore: “Icould neverkeep my catinside allthe time—he justloves it out-doors!”Many care-givers believe keeping their cats inside deprivesthem of enjoyment and adventure. Cats allowed toroam outdoors, however, often are hit by cars or fallvictim to disease, poisons, attacks by other animals,or mistreatment by humans. In fact, The HSUS esti-mates that the average life span of a free-roaming

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cat is about three years, compared to 12-15 yearsfor a safely confined cat. In a 2001 study (JacobsJenner & Kent), two out of three veterinarians rec-ommended keeping cats indoors, most often citingdangers from vehicles and disease. Given this infor-mation, it’s easy to see why humane organizationsurge people to keep their pets indoors.

But not all cats roaming outdoors unsupervised arepets. The free-roamingcat population is difficultto define. Free-roamingcats can be owned catswho are lost, allowedoutside, previouslyowned cats who havebeen abandoned, catswho are fed by severalresidents in an area butowned by none of them,or so-called working catswho serve as “mousers.”

Free-roaming cats may also be feral, unsocializedcats who are one or more generations removedfrom a home environment and who may live in acolony of similar cats. Almost every community hasa colony of feral cats. While the number of strayand feral dogs has fallen to a very low level, this isnot true of cats. One study provides a very roughestimate of about 30-40 million feral/stray cats in

the U.S.

Free-roamingcats causenumerous prob-lems in a com-munity. Theyprey on smallmammals, song-birds, and otherwildlife, spreadzoonotic dis-eases (diseasesthat can bespread from ani-mals to people,such as rabies),and cause caraccidents. Inaddition, unster-ilized, free-roam-ing cats con-tribute to thehigh number ofcats who end upin our nation’sanimal sheltersevery day. For allof those reasons,The HSUS

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Timeline of the Cat

7,000 to5,000 B.C.:African wildcats wander intohumansettlements

3,000 B.C.:Egyptian artworkfeatures cats in afavorable light

900 B.C.:Domestic catstransported fromEgypt to Italy,Greece, and othercountries

500 B.C.: Cats arrive in China

100 B.C.: Cats arrivein India

900 A.D.:Domestic cats arrive inBritish Isles

1200: Catholic Church viewscats as evil; millions are killed

1600s: In London,cats slaughtered for spreadingthe plague

1800s: Cats becomepopular subjectsof British artistLouis Wain

1920s: First commercial cat food developed

1947: Cat litter invented

1972: Reliable test forfeline leukemiadeveloped

2002: Cats becomenumber-one pet in U.S.

The Humane Society of theUnited States CompleteGuide to Cat Care

By Wendy S.Christensenand thestaff of TheHumaneSociety ofthe UnitedStates(New York:St. Martin’s Press, 2002).

If you’re thinking about adopt-ing a cat or want reliable, up-to-date information about car-ing for a feline friend at home,pick up a copy of The HumaneSociety of the United StatesComplete Guide to Cat Care.This 322-page book provides acomplete history of cats, a lookinside the feline mind, tips onmaking the indoors a stimulat-ing environment for cats, andways you can help cats in yourown community.

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The Trade in Dog and CatFurSince 1997, The HSUS has investigated theinternational trade in dog and cat fur. Their find-ings ultimately resulted in a U.S. ban on prod-ucts containing the fur of those animals. TheHSUS investigation revealed that in China, thePhilippines, and Thailand, millions of dogs andcats each year are killed for their fur. The meth-ods used to kill them are grisly: Dogs are blud-geoned or bled to death, and cats are oftenstrangled by wire nooses. It takes as many as 12dogs or 24 cats to make one coat. Dog and catfur is also used for fur-trimmed parkas, gloves,hats, toys, and fur-covered animal figurines.

The industry uses misleading labels on its prod-ucts to hide the fact that cats and dogs havebeen killed to make them. Dog fur products havebeen sold under such names as gae-wolf, goupee,Sobaki, and loup d’Asie. Common names given tocat fur products include maopee, goyangi, katzen-felle, and gatto cinesi. To learn more, read“Betrayal of Trust: The Global Trade in Dog andCat Fur,” at www.bandogcatfur.org.

strongly recommends that cats be kept indoorsand allowed outside only on leashes or in speciallydesigned cat enclosures.

Explore the Issues

• Almost every community has a colony of feralcats. Because feral cat colonies are often perceivedas a nuisance or public health threat, local govern-ments have sought to solve the problem throughone of two methods: live-trapping and euthanizingthe cats, or trapping, neutering, and releasing them(TNR).

For a social studies project, imagine that you areyour county’s director of animal care and control.

Your assignment is to come up with a plan to solvethe feral cat problem in your community. Here isthe situation: A colony of about 50 feral cats livesbehind the local high school. Parents, teachers, andstudents want the cats removed for fear of rabies.Many of the cats appear to be malnourished orsick. The majority of the town’s residents want thecats removed as soon as possible and by anymeans. A small group of activists and some stu-dents and teachers, however, say that killing thecats is inhumane and is not a long-term solution tothe problem. Your small animal shelter has room tohouse approximately 40 cats; typically about halfof those cages are occupied.

Develop a plan that will keep the public safe andhelp solve the problem in the long-term. Resourcesthat will help you in developing your plan includeAlley Cat Allies, www.alleycat.org, and The HSUSStatement on Free-Roaming Cats, at www.hsus.org.You may also read Community Approaches to FeralCats online at www.AnimalSheltering.org.

• With the cloning of a cat in the Missyplicity Pro-

Saying GoodbyeNear this spot

Are deposited the remains of oneWho possessed beauty without vanity,Strength without insolence,Courage without ferocity.

And all the virtues of man without his vices.

This praise, which would be unmeaning flatteryIf inscribed over human ashes,Is but just tribute to the memory ofBoatswain, a dog.

—Inscription on tombstone of Lord Byron’s dog

Coping with the death of a beloved pet can beone of life’s saddest experiences. In fact, morethan half of all pet caregivers say that thebiggest drawback to having a pet is “sadnesswhen they die” (APPMA, 2001-2002). Manypeople spend more time with their animal com-panions than they do with friends or relatives,so the loss of that animal causes a great disrup-tion in their lives. To help people who are griev-ing the loss of a companion animal, The HSUSoffers the Kindred Spirits program, whichincludes tips for coping, suggests various waysof memorializing a pet, and allows people toplace a special message in memory of theirdeceased pet in the Diary of Kindred Spirits. Formore information, see www.kindredspirits.orgor call 1-866-MYFRIEND. There are also manysupport groups for people grieving the loss of apet. Check with your veterinarian or animal shel-ter for more information on groups in your area.

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ject, cloning of companion animals became a reali-ty. What do animal protection organizations thinkabout this practice? Compare and contrast a fewgroups’ official policy statements on the cloning ofcompanion animals. Contact information for animalprotection groups may be found in the “Resources”section at the end of this book. For an interestingtwist, compare animal protections groups’ view ofcompanion animal cloning with churches’ andhuman rights organizations’ views on humancloning. Are they similar in some ways? What arethe major differences?

Take Action

• If your cat is allowed to roam, bring him or herindoors for good. For tips on how to make thetransition easier, pick up a copy of The Indoor Cat,by Patricia Curtis (New York: The Berkley Publish-ing Group, 1997).

• Think of the cat caregivers in your life. Chancesare, a good many allow their feline friends to roam

outdoors. But they’re not necessarily uncaring oruncommitted toward their pets, are they? If they’relike many people, they simply don’t know or under-stand the risks associated with allowing cats out-doors. They may believe the old myths that catshave a basic need to explore the outdoors andwould be miserable indoors. Help educate cat care-givers in your community. Safe Cats, a new cam-paign developed by The HSUS. You can distributeSafe Cats brochures and make public serviceannouncements to encourageresponsible pet ownership.For pricing and orderinginformation, call (202) 452-1100 or read about the SafeCats campaign atwww.hsus.org.

Horses and people have shared a close bondfor thousands of years. Graceful and beau-tiful, intelligent and sensitive, horses rival

dogs in their service and loyalty to people. Horses

Noble Companionsbelong to a family of mam-mals called Equidae, whichalso includes zebras andwild asses. Today’s domes-tic horses (and ponies—who are horses with aheight of less than 14.2hands) are thought to bedescended from horsesdomesticated in easternEurope about 4,000 years ago. In 1492, Christo-pher Columbus brought domestic horses to NorthAmerica. (In North America, native wild horsesbecame extinct about 10,000 years ago. Herds ofhorses, including mustangs in the U.S., do live in awild state, but they have all descended fromdomestic ancestors and are now feral.) Today, thereare approximately 6.9 million horses in the U.S.,which includes horses kept for both commercialand recreational purposes.

A Unique Relationship

As herd animals, horses are highly social and form

Fast Facts: HorsesFamily: EquidaeSpecies: Equus

caballusRelatives: zebras,

donkeys, mulesLife span: up to 35

years or morePopulation in U.S.:

6.9 million

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complex bonds with other horses. They easilytransfer their affection and loyalty to humans whocare for them, proving ready, willing, and able towork alongside people in the most challenging of

tasks. Horses have goodmemories and a desireto please, making themeasy to train and workwith. While early horseswere mostly used to pullcarts, chariots, and cov-ered wagons, by the 8th

century B.C., ridinghorses was a popularmeans of transportation.Until the invention ofthe steam locomotive,horses (and their rela-

tives, mules and donkeys) were the primary meansof transporting both goods and people, includingsoldiers in war. They were also used for agriculturalwork, drawing water from wells, pulling heavy logs,and building railroads. With the invention of the

A Sore SubjectOne of the most popular breeds of horses is theTennessee walking horse. Originally developed inthe South as gentle riding horses, Tennesseewalkers are known for their smooth, comfortablestride. Today, modern competitions require thehorses to exhibit an exaggerated, high-steppinggait. The flashy gait can be achieved throughselective breeding and humane training prac-tices, yet a few unscrupulous trainers resort to“soring.” Some methods of soring include apply-ing chemical irritants to legs and hooves or dri-ving nails or other objects into the sensitiveareas of hooves, causing much pain to the hors-es. Because of the pain, sored horses raise theirfront legs immediately after touching theground, thus producing the high step. Alongwith animal protection groups, dedicated horseenthusiasts and breeders have spoken out aboutthe cruel practice, which was made a criminaloffense with 1970’s Horse Protection Act.

To learn more about the practice of soring andhow you can help stop it, visit www.thegaited-horse.com/morethansore.htm.

train (nicknamed the “iron horse”), automobiles(“horseless carriages”), tractors, and military tanks,our need for horses decreased dramatically. Yet ourrelationship with them continues to thrive. By far,most horses kept in the U.S. are simply for recre-ational riding and companionship. Some are used inracing, showing, ranch work, rodeo, polo, therapeu-tic riding programs, and police work.

Explore the Issues

Thanks to automobiles, horse-drawn carriages are athing of the past—except in places like New YorkCity. There, people can take an “old fashioned” car-riage ride for a small sum. Critics charge that car-riage horses are worked too hard, too long, and inunacceptable weather conditions, including extremeheat and humidity. Several humane organizationsare working to improve the working and living con-ditions of New York City’s carriage horses. For moreinformation on carriage horses and how you canhelp make their lives better, visit www.aspca.organd www.hsus.org and enter “carriage horses” intotheir search engines.

Horsekeeping in the U.S.

Activity Number of horses

Racing 725,000

Showing 1,974,000

Recreation 2,970,000

Other* 1,262,000*Includes farm and ranch work, police work, rodeo, and polo

Major Breed Registrations, U.S., 1999

Breed Number of registered foals

Quarter horse 135,528

Paint 62,186

Thoroughbred 36,500

Miniature horse 19,899

Tennessee walker 13,375

Arabian 11,501

Standardbred 11,183

Appaloosa 10,099

Anglo & Half Arab 4,453

Morgan 3,220Source: American Horse Council

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Horses as HealersMy favorite sport is horseback riding, because when I’m on a horse, I feel free. Since I can’t walk, I can’t playsports the way other kids can. When I’m on a horse, I pretend I’m not handicapped. I’ve learned to ride andbalance myself on a horse just like anybody else; in fact maybe even better. I can run, jump, climb steep hills onmountain trails, splash through bubbling creeks, and discover new places my wheelchair can never take me. I canride for hours, and my arms don’t get tired the way they do when I push myself around in my chair. I wish Icould ride a horse to my classrooms, but I don’t think it would be allowed!Letter courtesy of Institute of Equestrian Therapy

The above letter was written by Alison, a young girl confined to a wheel-chair. Alison wrote this letter in 1985, while participating in the therapeu-tic riding program at the Institute of Equestrian Therapy. Today, hundredsof such programs around the country are helping people with a range ofphysical, mental, and emotional disabilities. Some of those disabilitiesinclude post-traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, autism, spina bifda, andmultiple sclerosis. The term “therapeutic riding” encompasses a wide vari-ety of activities between horses and disabled persons, including hip-potherapy, which uses the movement of the horse as a treatment to helppatients with neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction.

cost of maintaining onefor just one year. Inaddition to daily feed-ing and groomingrequirements, horsesrequire regular veteri-nary and hoof care andconstant access to adry, safe, comfortableshelter to protect themfrom rain, wind, andsnow. People who areunable to keep horseson their own propertymust pay boarding fees to a local stable. Add up allthe costs for caring for a horse, including veteri-nary care, and you come up with a yearly figurethat greatly exceeds the average cost of caring forany other companion animal. Horses also require agreat deal of exercise and companionship, 365days a year.

Because horses are usually kept for riding, owninghorses poses a dilemma when they become too oldor unhealthy to be ridden. While horses are stillcapable of providing companionship, some people

Take Action

• Therapeutic riding programs often rely on volun-teers to care for horses and assist disabled persons.Consider volunteering at a program near you. Tofind a local therapeutic riding program, seewww.narha.org.

• Educate others about the various ways horseshelp the disabled. Ask a representative from a localtherapeutic riding program to speak at your school.

For more information about therapeutic riding pro-grams, visit American Hippotherapy Association,www.americanequestrian.com/hippotherapy,and the North American Riding for the Handi-capped Association, www.narha.org.

Commitment, of Course

Caring for a horse in distinctively different fromcaring for any other companion animal. Unlikeother animals commonly kept as pets (with largebirds being the exception), horses can live for 30years or longer. And while pet-care costs for anyanimal can mount to surprising levels, caring forhorses can be extremely expensive. In fact, the costof purchasing a horse is often much less than the

Think About It

How might learning to ride a horse help someone who has attention deficit disorder (ADD)? Howmight spending time with horses help children from abused families?

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Pregnant Mare UrineIndustryPremarin® is a drug made from the urine of preg-nant mares, which is rich in the hormone estro-gen. The most widely prescribed estrogenreplacement drug, Premarin® is commonly pre-scribed to relieve hormonal deficiency symptomsassociated with menopause or hysterectomy.There are an estimated 500 pregnant mare urine(PMU) farms in North America, the vast majorityof which are in Canada. About 30 PMU farmsexist in North Dakota, and more have reportedlybeen established in Minnesota.

Animal protection groups are very concernedabout the treatment of horses at PMU farms.From September until March or April, PMUmares are tethered in narrow stalls with a cuppositioned over the vulva to collect urine. Inaddition to lack of exercise, PMU mares cannotinteract naturally with other horses and may notbe given adequate bedding material. The foals ofPMU mares are taken from their mothers afterthree or four months. “Surplus” foals—thosefoals not kept for future PMU production—areusually shipped to feedlots and fattened forslaughter. PMU mares who are barren or unpro-ductive are also sent to slaughter. To learn moreabout the PMU industry, type “Premarin” intoany search engine, or see www.hsus.org.

may view the tradeoff as not worth it. If a horse isunable to be ridden, then the work and expenserequired to care for the animal for life—which maybe years—may be undesirable to their owners.Unable to be ridden or shown, many former plea-sure horses are sent to horse auctions, where theyare sold for slaughter.

A Sad End

It comes as a shock to most people that horses arekilled in the U.S. for human consumption. In 2001,more than 55,000 horses were slaughtered.Because there is no demand for horse meat here, itis exported to markets in France, Belgium, Holland,Japan, and Italy, where it is considered a delicacy.

Most horses sent to slaughter are sold at livestockauctions or sales. Many of the horses that HSUSinvestigators see purchased for slaughter are ingood health and bought for only a few hundred dol-lars. Horses commonly slaughtered include unsuc-cessful racehorses, pleasure horses who are old,lame, or ill, surplus riding school and camp horses,and foals who are “byproducts” of the pregnantmare urine industry (see sidebar at right).

Horses bound for slaughter are shipped by truck,frequently for long distances. They are usually notrested, fed, or watered during travel. It is notuncommon for horses and ponies to be crammedinto double-deck trucks designed for cattle andpigs. The truck ceilings are so low that the horsesare unable to hold their heads up in a normal posi-tion. Inappropriate floor surfaces lead to slips andfalls and sometimes even trampling. Some horsesarrive at the slaughterhouse gravely injured ordead. Serious problems exist at the slaughterhouseas well. Although federal law requires that horsesbe rendered unconscious prior to slaughter, somehorses are improperly stunned and may still beconscious when they are hoisted by a rear leg tohave their throats cut.

A Solution to Slaughter?

A main component of the The HSUS’s Pets for Lifecampaign is educating people about the responsi-bilities of caring for a pet for the animal’s naturallife span. Horses present a unique situation as aresult of their high cost of maintenance, long lifespan, and the fact that they’re often kept for rea-

sons other than simple com-panionship. As with all com-panion animals, peopleshould consider the lifelongneeds of an animal and theways in which their own liveswill change during that ani-mal’s life span. By consider-ing all the variables that gointo caring for a pet for life,people can make wiser, morehumane decisions—and hopefully eliminate theslaughterhouse as an option for unwanted horses.Some solutions include adopting horses fromequine rescue organizations instead of breedingthem, and providing humane euthanasia for horsesinstead of sending them to slaughterhouses.

Number of small animals as pets, 1997

Hamsters 1,876,000

Guinea pigs 1,091,000

Ferrets 791,000

Gerbils 764,000

Mice, rabbits, rats, 1,053,000and other rodents

Source: U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, 1997

Not surprisingly, small animals (with the exceptionof birds) are most likely to live in homes withyoung children. Many parents want their childrento experience the companionship and responsibility

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The Best of the Rest

Think About It

• How might individual horse owners help reducethe number of horses sent to slaughter?

• Explain the differences between euthanizingunwanted dogs and cats at animal shelters andkilling horses at slaughterhouses.

• How might the public respond if it were discov-ered that people were auctioning their older catsand dogs off to be slaughtered? (Like horses,dogs and cats are eaten in other countries.) Whymight people regard the plight of unwanted hors-es differently from that of unwanted cats anddogs?

Explore the Issues

• In terms of the way animals are treated, what arethe similarities and differences between horse rac-ing and greyhound racing? Compare and contrastthe two industries in a paper for an English ordebate class. Research how the animals are treatedon and off the racetrack, how they impact theeconomy, and what happens to animals who are nolonger able to race. Useful resources include theNational Greyhound Adoption Program, www.ngap.org, and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation,www.trfinc.org, as well as the animal protectionorganizations listed at the end of this guide.

• Black Beauty, Anna Sewell’s classic tale about aloyal horse who suffers abuse at the hands of his

owners, is heralded by animal pro-tection organizations as one of thefinest works of humane literature.In fact, George Angell, the founderof the Massachusetts Society forthe Prevention of Cruelty to Ani-mals, was responsible for thewidespread distribution ofhumane storybooks to schools,including Black Beauty, three million copies of whichhad been circulated by 1909. To teach children inyour community about kindness to animals, makearrangements to read Black Beauty to elementaryclasses in local schools. If time allows, consider ashowing of the 1994 remake of Black Beauty. Foractivity ideas, visit www.nahee.org, the website ofthe National Association for Humane and Environ-mental Education. Click on Black Beauty in the“Favorite Flicks” section.

Take Action

If you and your family are willing to make a lifetimecommitment to a horse, consider adopting onefrom a local equine rescue group. If you’re unableto make a lifetime commitment but would still liketo get involved, you may be interested in learninghow you can provide a foster home to a horse inneed. You can locate one in your area atwww.equinerescueleague.org.

Not all companion animalsare furry, four-legged friends:Americans share their homeswith more than 178 millionfish and birds. And manypeople find that small crit-ters—such as mice, rats, ger-bils, rabbits, and guineapigs—provide the lovingrelationship they seek withan animal, with less of afinancial or time commitment. Most of those animals,though not domesticated in the strictest sense, canbe content in captivity if given proper care.

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of a pet and decide that small mammals—such asrabbits, hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs—or fishare the best choice. Responsible parents and petcaregivers acknowledge that pets are not tempo-rary playmates for children, but family memberswho depend on the entire family, especially adults,to take care of them. Parents wishing to provide apet for their young children must expect that theadults in the household will ultimately be responsi-ble for the animal’s care.

Rabbits are popular pets. According to one survey,one out of four small pet caregivers keeps a rabbit.Rabbits can make cuddly, affectionate companions.

Like cats, they caneven be trained to usea litter box, increasingtheir appeal to cityand apartmentdwellers. Because rab-bits are social animals,they need a fairamount of attentionand companionship.Rabbits tend to livelonger than the aver-age rodent compan-ion. A rabbit who hasbeen spayed orneutered (always a

good idea to improve overall health, preventunwanted litters, and stop urine marking in thehome) can live eight to twelve years. Though themajority of caregivers obtain their rabbits fromfriends or pet stores, keep in mind that animal shel-

ters and rescue groups often have rabbits up foradoption.

Think About It

• What famous rabbits can you name? Why doyou think that the rabbit has become such apopular figure in children’s literature, movies, andcartoons?

• Is it okay to get a pet solely “for the kids”?Explain your answer.

• As a young child, did you have a pet? Howwould you describe yourself as a pet caregiverback then?

Guinea pigs aren’t really pigs. The guinea pig isactually the domesticated variety of the cavy, a wildanimal that lives in the mountains of Chile andPeru. With a life span of up to five years, guineapigs can make delightful companions for people ofall ages. They are extremely social and should bekept in pairs, but they also enjoy interaction withhumans. Like rabbits, guinea pigs require amplespace and a significant amount of attention if theyare to be true companions who enjoy the companyof humans and are comfortable being handled bythem.

Hamsters,gerbils,mice, andrats are pop-ular first petsfor youngchildren.These little

Rabbits Read Telephone Books?What type of shavings is best for hamsters? Should I get one rabbitor two? What kinds of treats are safe for guinea pigs? As with all pets,the key to getting the right pet for you—and keeping him or herhappy—is learning as much as you can about the animal beforebringing one into your home, and committing to caring for that petfor his or her entire life. For specific information on how to care foryour small animal, check out the “Pet Care” section at www.hsus.org.The site gives a brief history of popular companion animal species, aswell as specific guidelines on how to care for each of them properly. To find a specific animal quickly, justenter the species into the search engine. Your library and the Internet are also great sources of informa-tion about pet care. (And to answer the question: No, rabbits don’t read phone books. They do, howev-er, enjoy ripping them to shreds!)

Resources for RabbitLovers

Formed in 1988 by asmall group of dedicatedrabbit caregivers, theHouse Rabbit Societyseeks to educate the publicabout responsible care ofrabbits. The group alsorescues and finds homesfor rabbits. Check outtheir fun, informative web-site at www.rabbit.org.

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Get the Word on BirdsThe allure of a hyacinth macaw or a sparkling white cockatoo is hard for some people to resist. Thesestunning, highly intelligent birds—which can cost thousands of dollars—are prized as companions. Butat what cost to the birds? Are exotic birds, such as parrots, cockatoos, and lovebirds, really suitable aspets? Can they be truly happy in captivity?

According to animal protection organizations, including The HSUS, probablynot. Although birds can and do make wonderful companions, many require anenormous amount of time, knowledge, energy, and space to care for properly.And large birds give new meaning to the phrase “lifetime commitment.” With alife span of more than 60 years, parrots can easily outlive their owners.

Of equal importance is the problem of how those birds end up in pet stores.Many of the larger species, such as cockatoos and macaws, are taken from theirwild habitats. Up to 80% of birds caught in the wild die in the course of cap-ture and shipment. In some areas, local populations of wild birds have beendecimated because too many have been captured for the pet trade. Additional-ly, wild-caught birds often suffer from stress and the inability to adapt to life incaptivity, making them prone to medical and behavioral problems.

Before you decide to bring a bird into your family, do your homework. Be sure to purchase only thosebirds who have been bred and raised in captivity, such as cockatiels, parakeets, and canaries. If yourheart is set on one of the larger bird species and you are positive that you have the time, energy, andresources to properly care for one, be sure to acquire a bird who has been bred in captivity, not takenfrom his wild home.

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critters are fascinat-ing to watch, fun toplay with, and rela-tively simple tocare for.

First brought to theU.S. in 1938, ham-sters are inactiveduring the day andawake at night, animportant fact tokeep in mind indeciding where tohouse the animal.(Squeaky wheelscan get annoying inthe wee hours!)The average lifespan of a hamsteris three years.

Clean and friendly,gerbils have been

kept as pets since the 1950s. Gerbils, who live anaverage of two to three years, are social creatures

who prefer to live with other gerbils. As with all littlecritters, don’t keep males and females together. Youcould end up with more little pets than you bar-gained for!

Mice are fairly easy to care for. They prefer to livein groups and can also become accustomed to gen-tle handling. One of the biggest drawbacks is theirshort life span of one to two years.

Despite their poor reputation,rats are curious, intelligent, andoften affectionate pets. Unlikesome of the other smallrodents, rats can establish astrong bond with their care-givers. They can be taught toperform a variety of behaviorsand enjoy interacting with peo-ple. To keep them from getting lonely and boredduring the day, it’s often best to keep them inpairs. Rats’ life expectancy is three to four years.

Think About It

What are the benefits of keeping small animals aspets? What are the drawbacks?

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Looking for a Piggy?

Unfortunately, some care-givers give up on theirguinea pigs when they realizethe work involved in keepingthem happy and healthy. Thegood news is that you canprovide a loving home to aguinea pig in need! Checkwith your local shelter to seeif they have any guinea pigsup for adoption. You mayalso wish to visit www.guineapigs.info. This com-prehensive site includesinformation about how tocare for your pig as well ashow you can adopt a guineapig (or two!) in your area.

ied diet, mental stimulation, and frequent attention.Additionally, they can live as long as 20 years,longer even than the average dog or cat. While wildcockatiels still live in their native Australia, petcockatiels are almost always cage-bred, which, froma humane perspective, makes them suitable pets.

Like cockatiels, pet parakeets are almost alwayscage-bred. These cheerful, friendly, little birds liveabout eight years on average, and require muchattention from their caregivers. They tend to bondclosely with people and also enjoy living with otherparakeets. Although canaries don’t form closebonds with people, these cage-bred birds can make

Here, Fishy, FishyFish are steadily becoming more popular pets. In2000, about 12% of all U.S. households hadfish, whether freshwater, tropical, or saltwater.While many fish, such as goldfish and guppies,are tank-raised, others are not. Many species—particularly saltwater species—have been caughtin the wild. In some cases, divers squirt cyanideinto coral reefs to stun fish for capture. The poi-son kills most of the fish, coral, and other marinelife with which itcomes into con-tact. The fishwho survive aresold to the pettrade. Animalprotection organizations urge fish enthusiasts topurchase only tank-raised fish.

Reptiles as PetsDo you know someone who has a pet iguana? How about a snake or a lizard? Probably so. After all, rep-tiles (and amphibians, such as frogs and salamanders) have become increasinglypopular pets in the U.S. Millions are kept in American households, and at least1.7 million are imported as pets each year. Countless others are removed fromthe wild right here in the U.S. to supply both the domestic and internationalpet trades. Sadly, many of those animals die in transport or shortly after reach-ing their destinations. And all reptiles carry Salmonella, a serious and some-times deadly bacteria dangerous to people, particularly children.

Learn more about the problems with keeping reptiles as pets. Check out Reptiles as Pets: An Examinationof the Trade in Live Reptiles in the United States, by Joseph Franke, M.S., and Teresa M. Telecky, Ph.D.(Washington, DC: The Humane Society of the United States, 2001). For ordering information, contactThe HSUS.

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Explore the Issues

• Mention the word “rat,” and you’ll more than like-ly get a negative response. Yet many people notonly like rats, they keep them as companions!Research the rat’s history throughout our culture,including its suspected role in the spread of dis-ease, its use in scientific research, humans’ effortsto control rat populations, and how the rat hasgained favor with pet caregivers. Write a paper foryour science or social studies class.

• Ferrets and gerbils are illegal as pets in California.Why is that so? For more information, contact theCalifornia Department of Fish and Game at (916)227-1305 or visit www.cdfa.ca.gov.

Feathered Friends

Beautiful to look at and often refreshing to listento, birds have been kept aspets for hundreds of years.Today, they are gaining inpopularity as pets. In 2000,about 7% of U.S. householdshad at least one bird, andwidows and single people areincreasingly choosing to havebirds as pets. Cockatiels andparakeets are the most pop-ular pet birds.

Cockatiels are intelligent, playful, and affectionateanimals who closely bond with their human care-givers. Many are beautiful singers; a few can mimicsome words. Like all birds, cockatiels require a var-

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Animal Shelters: A Haven in Need

cheerful companions.

Think About It

Most people have pets to enjoy the human-animal bond. Fish, obviously, cannot bond withtheir owners. What might be some other reasonsthat people keep fish?

Wild Animals as Pets

From bobcats to prairie dogs, hedgehogs to chin-chillas, it is not uncommon for wild animals to be

kept as pets. Likemost animal protec-tion groups, TheHSUS stronglyopposes the keepingof exotic and non-domestic animals aspets, including lizards,snakes, and turtles.Unlike dogs and cats,who were domesticat-ed thousands of yearsago and depend on usfor food, shelter, andattention, wild animalsare self-sufficient and

fare best without human interference.

When a person assumes responsibility for an ani-mal, that means providing appropriate, humanecare. It is notoriously difficult to provide for all ofan exotic animal’s needs in captivity. Wild animalshave specialized nutritional and social needs thatare usually unmet by their owners. They often growto be larger, stronger, and more dangerous than

people can handle. Wild animals kept as pets mayeven pose a danger to public safety through dis-ease and parasites.

Unfortunately, wild animals kept as pets oftenspend their days in cages or aquariums. It is notuncommon for them to die at a young age due toinadequate care—or to be relinquished to shelterswhen the novelty of having a wild animal as a petwears off. A large percentage of wild and exotic ani-mals kept as pets are dead within the first twoyears of captivity. Wild animals also suffer duringtheir capture and transport to pet stores. In addi-tion, the wild-pet trade threatens the existence ofsome species when they are taken from their natur-al habitats. For more information about the trade inwild animals as pets, please visit www.hsus.org.

Explore the Issues

“Cost of pet maintenance” is listed as one of thetop reasons people give up their animals to animalshelters. Choose a companion animal and deter-mine how much it would cost for you to maintainthat animal’s care over his or her lifetime. Be sureto include initial purchase price or adoption fee,costs for veterinary care (including routine check-ups, vaccines, and illness/emergency care), licensefees, food, shelter (including kennel or pet-sitterfees, if you travel), toys and treats, grooming, andall necessary pet care items, depending on the ani-mal chosen (e.g., litter box, cat litter, aquarium,bedding, collar, leash, etc.). Good sources of infor-mation include your local shelter, veterinarian, andthe Internet (type “pet care costs” into a searchengine).

From providing safe homes for unwanted animals toeducating others about responsible pet care, ani-mal shelters provide vital services to people andanimals in their community. The HSUS estimatesthat there are approximately 3,000 animal sheltersin the U.S. That figure encompasses a wide varietyof organizations. Some nonprofit animal sheltersare funded by donations. Others are municipal

facilities operated by a city or county and fundedby taxpayers. While some animal shelters focussolely on direct care of homeless animals, othersare “full-service,” with animal care and control staffwho investigate animal cruelty and enforce laws andhumane educators who teach children and othersabout responsible pet care. Whatever services theyprovide and however they’re funded, all animal

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shelters share a common goal: helping animals inneed.

Think About It

What do you know about the animal shelter inyour community? Write down what you know andset it aside. We will come back to your answers inan upcoming activity.

The History of Animal Shelters

In the early 1700s, colonistsconstructed pounds—sim-ple, stonewalled enclosuresto hold cattle or pigs whostrayed from their grazingareas. As a rule, the animalsremained impounded untiltheir owners paid the poundmaster a few pennies inpenalty for allowing theirlivestock to wander. As thenumber of people living on farms dwindled and thepopulations of towns and cities increased, the need

for livestock pounds diminished. The need for dogpounds, on the other hand, grew. Dogs, However,rarely fared as well in pounds as did livestock. Infact, poor pound conditions in the mid 1800s ledhumanitarians such as Henry Bergh, George Angell,and Caroline Earle White to campaign for reform.While Bergh and Angell worked to create laws toprotect animals, it was White’s work that made thegreatest difference in the way shelters for homelessanimals were run.

White and other members of the Women’s Societyfor the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Pennsyl-vania convinced the city of Philadelphia to awardthem the contract for controlling stray dogs. Theyproceeded to build the first truly humane shelterfor homeless dogs and cats in the U.S. Soon, inter-ested parties in other states sought advice fromthe Women’s SPCA on how to create humane facili-ties in their regions.

Animal shelters and animal control agencies tookanother leap forward in the mid-1900s. No longerwilling to be seen as “dog catchers” working in

Officers for AnimalsMore than likely, your town or local animal shelter employs an ani-mal control officer, or ACO. (The title of this position varies fromplace to place. Other common names are humane officer, dog war-den, or animal care officer.) ACOs perform a variety of importantjobs. One of their most vital functions is enforcing animal-relatedlaws in your community, from making sure that people don’t allowtheir dogs to roam to investigating cases of possible animal cruelty.ACOs bring lost, stray, injured, and abandoned animals to the animal shelter so that they can receiveproper care and have the chance to be reunited with their owners. In addition, they respond to callsconcerning dangerous animals, dog attacks, loose livestock, and trespassing cats, among many otherthings. If you’re interested in learning more about ACOs, visit the National Animal Control Associationwebsite at www.nacanet.org.

Take Action

Schedule an interview with your community’s ACO. If the ACO is able to accommodate you, ask if youcan spend a day or at least a few hours on the job with him or her. This is known as “shadowing,” andit’s an excellent way of learning firsthand about a particular occupation. Before your interview, develop alist of questions. Some questions to ask include: How long have you been in this job? What kind oftraining have you received? Do you work for an animal shelter or the municipal government? What kindsof cases do you handle each day? How can our town’s citizens help animals in the community?

Publish your article in your school newspaper, or ask the editor of your town’s newspaper if he or shewill consider running your article to increase public awareness of the ACO’s important role in your com-munity.

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Some of the decline in the number of animalsentering shelters can be attributed to the successof the Leglislation, Education, Sterilization (LES)

“dog pounds,” shelter per-sonnel and members ofhumane groups sought train-ing for all those involved inanimal control. Today, animalshelters are staffed by well-trained professionals whoprovide a wide variety of ser-vices, including safe shelterand adoption for homeless

and abused animals, identification and recovery ofstrays, community education about responsible petcare, obedience training classes for dogs, animal-assisted therapy, low-cost spay/neuter operationsand veterinary care, and the creation and enforce-ment of animal protection laws. Inshort, many animal shelters arenow a community’s ultimateresource for all matters concerningcompanion animals.

Shelters are changing in otherways, too. While dogs were oncethe primary residents, now thereare more cats than dogs in shel-ters. (In some shelters, there are asmany as three cats to every dog.)Many shelters also provide care forrabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, horses,mice, gerbils, and birds. For peoplewho are looking to add a pet totheir family, animal shelters offer asurprising range of companion ani-mals for adoption, from kittens andpuppies to older, already-traineddogs and cats. For people whoprefer a specific breed, The HSUSestimates that about one out ofevery four dogs at shelters is apurebred.

Steady Progress

Animal shelters and other humaneorganizations have made significantstrides in reducing the numbers ofunwanted animals. From the limiteddata available, it’s apparent that shelter intakes andeuthanasias have been in steady decline since atleast the 1940s. To give you an idea, a 1973 surveyestimated that 13.5 million animals were eutha-

nized annually. A follow-up study in 1982 suggest-ed that number had dropped to an estimated rangeof 7.6 million to 10 million. Today, The HSUS esti-mates that about 3 to 4 million animals are eutha-nized each year. Significantly, the number of ani-mals taken in by shelters and the number of eutha-nized animals have continued to drop even as theowned pet population continues to rise. A 2001shelter demographic survey found that the rate ofshelter euthanasia is lowest in the Northeast andhighest in the South, with significant decreases ineuthanasia rates in the Midwest and the Sunbelt.For an example of one shelter’s decreasing intakeand euthanasia rates, see the table below.

The animal intake/disposition experience of one large California shelter

Year Dogs Cats TotalReturned to

Euthanizedcaregiver/adopted

1970 23,500 22,600 49,100 9,130 37,0251971 26,425 20,785 46,210 7,095 39,9351972 18,265 14,212 32,477 7,650 24,9171973 20,034 14,920 34,95 9,278 25,6761974 17,131 10,890 28,021 9,989 18,0321975 15,019 10,052 25,071 9,552 15,5191976 12,530 8,528 21,058 7,250 13,8081977 11,199 8,001 19,200 6,770 12,4301978 9,949 6,899 16,148 5,073 11,7751979 8,969 6,055 15,054 5,870 9,1541980 7,603 6,628 14,231 5,580 8,6511981 8,235 6,888 15,123 5,634 9,4891982 8,301 7,833 16,144 5,789 10,3451983 8,199 6,729 14,928 4,922 10,0061984 8,360 6,639 14,999 5,041 9,9581985 8,477 7,014 15,491 5,522 9,9691986 8,141 8,010 16,151 6,099 10,0521987 7,165 8,710 15,875 5,962 9,9131988 7,171 8,916 16,087 6,199 9,8881989 6,843 9,021 15,864 6,274 9,5901990 5,866 9,211 15,077 6,088 9,0091991 5,224 9,442 14,666 6,042 8,6241992 5,226 9,702 14,928 6,176 8,7521993 5,116 8,257 13,373 5,902 7,4711994 4,723 7,312 12,035 5,797 6,2381995 4,894 6,963 11,857 5,544 6,3131996 4,925 6,499 11,424 5,624 5,8001997 4,934 5,866 10,800 5,470 5,330

Source: State of the Animals 2003

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• the majority ofrelinquished dogsand cats arebetween 5 monthsand 3 years ofage;• most relin-quished dogs andcats had beenowned from 7months to 1 year;• approximatelyhalf of all pets

relinquished are spayed or neutered;• animals acquired from friends are relinquished inhigher numbers than animals from any othersource;• 96% of relinquished dogs had received no obedi-ence training;• 24% of dogs and 17% of cats are surrendered forimmediate euthanasia for reasons including old age,serious illness, and serious behavior problems;• dogs are reclaimed by their caregivers at signifi-cantly higher rates than cats;• approximately 25% of dogs and cats in sheltersare adopted; 63%are euthanized;• relinquished ani-mals are far lesslikely to have beenseen by a veterinar-ian within the lastyear.

The NCPPSP alsocompleted confi-dential interviewswith pet caregiverswho were relin-quishing their dogsor cats to animalshelters. The tableon the next pageoutlines their find-ings.

What conclusionscan we draw basedon the valuabledata provided bythe NCPPSP? For

Don’t Leave Home WithoutThem

“Moving” and “landlordwon’t allow” are among thetop reasons people give forrelinquishing their pets toshelters. If you or your fami-ly has pets and needs tomove to another rental prop-erty, don’t assume you’llhave to give up your pet.Visit www.rentwithpets.org,the most comprehensivewebsite for pet-related hous-ing information. You mayalso request a free copy ofThe HSUS’s booklet “13Steps to Finding RentalHousing That Accepts Pets.”Write to Pets for Life, TheHSUS, 2100 L Street, NW,Washington, DC 20037.

initiative championed by The HSUS’s Phyllis Wrightin the 1970s. This three-pronged approach soughtto reduce the numbers of animals handled andeuthanized by shelters. Major projects of LESincluded the establishment of spay/neuter pro-grams, mandating licensing fees, and educating thecommunity through humane education programsabout proper treatment of companion animals,including the need to spay and neuter.

The Need for Information

As you’ve seen, commendable progress has beenmade in reducing both the number of animalsentering shelters and the number of animals eutha-nized. Despite this remarkable progress, pet over-population (more animals than there are goodhomes for them) is still being cited as the biggestreason for animals entering shelters, and manyshelters and other humane organizations havefocused the majority of their efforts onspay/neuter campaigns. But is pet overpopulationreally the number-one reason animals are enteringshelters?

In order to answer that question and many othersabout the pet surplus problem, a group of 11American humane organizations, breeder groups,and veterinary associations formed the NationalCouncil on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPP-SP). The NCPPSP was established to gather andanalyze data about companion animals and to usethat information to recommend programs thatreduce the number of unwanted pets in the U.S.The NCPPSP has conducted studies regarding ani-mal entry and exit numbers from shelters nationallyand the characteristics of animals and humansinvolved in relinquishment of animals to shelters.What has been uncovered so far may surprise you.

Why Do Pets End Up in Shelters?

According to many animal shelters, unwanted littersof puppies and kittens are no longer their biggestproblem. Many facilities whose kennels are full areactually reporting very few problems resulting fromunspayed animals. Increasingly, they are taking inpets who once had a home but have been relin-quished (given up) by their owners. To betterunderstand the reasons behind pet relinquishment,the NCPPSP conducted a Regional Shelter Survey.Their study found that

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starters, it is veryclear that peopleneed to really thinkabout why they wanta pet and to planhow they will care forthe animal for his orher entire life. Agree-ing to take an animalfrom a friend to helpout, for example,does not requireforethought or even areal desire to have apet. Not surprisingly,animals acquired fromfriends are relinquished at the highest rates. Simi-larly, relinquishing pets because they cost toomuch, they require too much time, or there are toomany other animals in the household also shows acommon theme of lack of planning. Programs thatencourage people to plan before acquiring pets,then, could help reduce the number of relinquishedanimals. From the evidence, it also appears thatestablishing a relationship with a veterinarian earlyon when acquiring a pet and providing basic obedi-ence training for dogs may help to prevent petrelinquishment. Interestingly, the NCPPSP’s studyalso shows that although the majority of cats anddogs are clearly adoptable, a sizeable number haveserious issues affecting their adoptability, such asillness or behavior problems.

As the NCPPSP and other entities continue toexplore the reasons behind pet relinquishment,humane organizations hope to use that knowledgeto keep people and their pets together for life. Tolearn more about the NCPPSP and its ongoingresearch, visit www.petpopulation.org.

Think About It

• The reasons in the list above were given by thepeople who were relinquishing their pets. Are yousurprised at any of their answers? What might besome of the limitations of such a study? Behaviorproblems are considered by animal care profes-sionals to be a major factor in pet relinquishment.Why, then, do you suppose, are reasons like“allergies” or “moving” higher on the list?

• According to a study conducted by Peter Hart

Research Associates, 55% of Americans think it isbetter to adopt an animal from a shelter than tobuy one from a pet store or breeder, primarilybecause shelter animals are most in need ofhomes. Yet studies conducted by the APPMAindicate that only 18% of people adopt their catsand only 17% adopt their dogs from shelters.How might you explain this discrepancy?

• Unfortunately, there is currently no centralizedsystem for collecting data from animal shelters. Itis even difficult to determine exactly how manyshelters there are in the U.S.; the estimate of3,000 given earlier in the guide is a roughapproximation based on a survey by The HSUS.With the advent of computer technology, someof the more advanced shelters are beginning tocollect data on the animals entering their facili-ties, returned to their caregivers, or euthanized,but this kind of record-keeping remains uncom-mon. Do you think it would be useful if all animalshelters collected data on animals entering theirshelters? If so, what information do you thinkwould be most useful in developing strategies tokeep people and their pets together?

Take Action

Hold a shelter collection at your school. First, callyour local animal shelter and ask what they need.Shelters often need donations of cat and dog food,cat litter, blankets and towels, medical supplies suchas cotton balls and bandages, treats, toys, andoffice and cleaning supplies. Advertise your collec-tion with posters and announcements. Designate a

Top Ten Reasons People Give for Relinquishing Their Pets to Animal Shelters

Dogs Cats

1. Moving 1. Moving

2. Landlord doesn’t allow pets 2. Landlord doesn’t allow pets

3. Too many animals in household 3. Too many animals in household

4. Cost of pet maintenance 4. Cost of pet maintenance

5. Owner having personal problems 5. Owner having personal problems

6. Inadequate facilities 6. Inadequate facilities

7. No homes available for litter mates 7. No homes available for litter mates

8. No time for pet 8. Allergies in family

9. Pet illness(es) 9. Soiling

10. Biting 10. Incompatibility with other pets

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the shelter’s opera-tions and services.Questions to askinclude: How manyanimals does yourshelter care foreach year? Whatare your adoptionrequirements andfees? What is yourrate of adoption?Does the sheltereuthanize unwant-ed or unadoptableanimals? If so, what

is the time frame for an animal to be adopted? Howis the shelter funded? How many people does theshelter employ? What are their roles? Does yourshelter keep data on animals entering and leaving?Do you accept volunteers?

Once you’ve gotten the facts, compare them towhat you wrote down earlier in response to the“Think About It” on p. 6. Were your initial thoughtsaccurate? What facts were you wrong about? Con-sider putting the information you’ve uncovered togood use. Make a presentation for your animal pro-tection club, compose an essay about the impor-tant work of animal shelters for your school ortown newspaper, or help the shelter establish awebsite, if it doesn’t already have one.

Good Shelter, Bad Shelter?

One of the most controversial debates in the ani-mal sheltering field centers on the issue of limited-admission (“no kill”) shelters. Animal shelters typi-cally fall into one of two categories: limited-admis-sion and open-admission, or “open-door.” Open-admission shelters accept all dogs, cats, and othercompanion animals in need. These shelters do notturn away animals when the shelter is full. Theyprovide care to every needy animal in their commu-nity, even if the animal is clearly sick, injured, oraggressive or otherwise unadoptable. Becausespace and resources are so limited, animals may beeuthanized to make room for other incoming ani-mals. Open-admission shelters believe that humaneeuthanasia of homeless companion animals ispreferable to the harsh lives and deaths these ani-mals face when they must fend for themselves out-

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place where students can drop off their donations.When you’ve rounded up all the goods, arrange todeliver them to the shelter. Animal shelters can usedonations year-round, but you could considerholding your first collection during the first fullweek of November, to celebrate National AnimalShelter Appreciation Week. For more ideas onhow to celebrate this important week, visitwww.AnimalSheltering.org or e-mail asi@hsus.org.

Explore the Issues

Research and write a biography of one of thehumane movement’s leaders: Henry Bergh, GeorgeAngell, Caroline Earle White, or Phyllis Wright. Inyour paper, describe how that person’s efforts haveinfluenced the humane care of animals and thework of humane organizations.

Take Action

According to a study by Peter Hart Research Asso-ciates, 55% of Americans value the role of animalshelters a great deal. The study also found thatmore than 60% of Americans know only “some” or“very little” about the various services and func-tions that animal shelters perform.

Educate yourself about your local animal shelter.Call ahead and schedule a visit to learn more about

Watch Your WordsImagine that you’re an employee at an animalshelter. For years, you’ve cared for homeless,abandoned, and abused dogs and cats. Read thefollowing statements. Pay particular attention tothe words in boldface.

“I had to go to the pound to pick up my dog.The dog catcher picked up my dog for wander-ing. The last time I was at the pound, it was torescue this same dog. He had one day leftbefore they were going to kill him. If it wasn’tfor me, he’d be a goner.”

How does the speaker view his local shelter?How might his statements make you feel? Howmight you respond? In what ways might thisspeaker’s word choices affect how his message isreceived? Why might a shelter employee objectwhen people say that they have “rescued” ananimal from a shelter?

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doors. Stray animals suffer from starvation, disease,poisoning, abuse, injuries from traffic accidents,wildlife attacks, and severe weather. If they are notspayed or neutered, they bring even more innocentanimals into their world of suffering. In addition,not every animal that enters a shelter is adoptable.

Open-admission shel-ters have to make diffi-cult decisions, basedon health, age, andtemperament, as towhich animals can beadopted out and whichneed to be euthanized.In addition, they areoften called upon totake in wild animalsthat people tried—and failed—to keep aspets. Such animals,

which cannot be adopted out, include lizards,snakes, raccoons, monkeys, and even large, exoticwildlife.

In recent years, limited-admission shelters havereceived a lot of attention. Limited-admission shel-ters do not euthanize adoptable animals. Instead,they hold the animals until a suitable home isfound, no matter how long it takes. Because suchshelters feel that euthanizing animals is not anoption, dogs and cats may be kept at the shelterfor years. There is concern about the length oftime some limited-admission shelters keep animalsand about the quality of life a companion animalhas when he or she is confined for very long peri-ods of time, which may result in animals becoming“cage crazy.” As a rule, limited-admission sheltersdo not accept animals who are unlikely to beadopted. They also must turn away animals whenthe shelter is full. The animals that limited-admis-sion shelters turn away are often relinquished to anopen-admission shelter. The term “no kill” for suchshelters is also inaccurate; most responsible limit-ed-admission shelters euthanize animals who arevery ill or considered dangerous.

The bottom line is that no shelter wants to eutha-nize animals. The fact is, there are not enoughgood homes for the millions of animals surrenderedto shelters each year, and not enough people look

About EuthanasiaThe word euthanasia is derived from a Greekterm meaning “good death.” When animal shel-ters must euthanize old, sick, aggressive, orunwanted animals, they strive to provide themost humane death possible. In order to behumane, every euthanasia technique must resultin painless, rapid unconsciousness, followed bycardiac or respiratory arrest, and ultimatelydeath. Along with the American Society for thePrevention of Cruelty to Animals, the NationalAnimal Control Association, and the AmericanVeterinary Medical Association, The HSUS rec-ommends the intravenous injection of sodiumpentobarbital as the preferred method of eutha-nizing companion animals.

to a shelter when they are thinking of getting a pet.The good news is that limited-admission and open-admission shelters are beginning to work togetherto meet their common goal of finding good homesfor healthy, adoptable animals. And, as we dis-cussed earlier, humane organizations are hard atwork determining strategies to preserve the human-animal bond and reduce the number of animalsentering shelters. Though there will always be aneed for animal shelters in our society, the progressthat has already been reported by animal shelterspromises a brighter future for companion animals.

Think About It

• At HumaneTeen (www.humaneteen.org), ourwebsite for teens interested in animal protection,we often receive comments from teens criticizingshelters for euthanizing animals. Many praise lim-ited-admission shelters and often even go so faras to say that they would never volunteer at ordonate to a shelter that euthanizes animals. Doyou think that knowing the facts about open-admission and limited-admission shelters mightchange these teens’ opinions? Explain.

• An animal shelter director once stated that noone would ever think to blame the American Can-cer Society for cancer, yet some members of thepublic and the media continue to blame animalhomelessness and euthanasia on animal shelters.What do you think the director meant?

• How do open-admission shelters complement

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Take Action

• Do you love animals and wish you could findmore ways to help them? Volunteer at your animalshelter! Many have programs that allow teens tointeract with animals and the public, raise funds,and publicize animals up for adoption. If servicelearning is a requirement at your school, considermeeting those credits with a commitment to yourlocal animal shelter. From designing web pages toorganizing walkathons or helping screen potentialadopters, there are plenty of opportunities for pro-viding shelters with meaningful assistance whilealso advancing your academic skills and experience.

• From pet adopt-a-thons at local malls to “Pet ofthe Week” spots in radio, television, and newspaperads, many shelters around the country are seekingcreative ways of increasing pet adoption. Using theInternet, research innovative adoption programs atshelters across the country. Then schedule a meet-

The HSUS and AnimalSheltersMany people believe that The HSUS is a parentor governing organization for local animal shel-ters, especially those with the words “humanesociety” in their name. The HSUS does notoperate or oversee animal shelters. Each shelteris an independent organization governed by itsown bylaws and board or directors (in the caseof private humane organizations) or by localordinances and officials (in the case of municipalanimal care and control agencies).

The HSUS does, however, work closely with ani-mal shelters in a variety of ways. We providetraining, guidelines, recommendations, andadvice on shelter operations, policies, and pro-cedures. The HSUS also publishes an award-win-ning bimonthly magazine, Animal Sheltering(www.AnimalSheltering.org), which featuresinformation about new and innovative programs,materials, and resources. Every year, The HSUShosts the premier international educational con-ference and trade show for animal shelteringprofessionals, Animal Care Expo. The HSUS alsoseeks to improve the lives of companion animalsthrough legislation and education and by pro-viding assistance directly to pet owners.

limited-admission shelters? How might limited-admission shelters help open-admission shelters?Could limited-admission shelters exist if therewere no open-admission shelters? Explain.

Explore the Issues

• Write an English paper about the myths, prob-lems, and potential of limited-admission shelters.For your paper, interview your community’s animalcare and control staff as well as personnel at bothlimited-admission and open-admission shelters. Askif you can present your report to your class, andconsider inviting guest speakers from a limited-admission and an open-admission shelter. For moreinformation about limited-admission and open-admission shelters, see the 2002 issues of AnimalSheltering magazine at www.AnimalSheltering.org.

• Animal shelters are sometimes called upon to dealwith animal hoarders. Animal hoarders are peoplewho keep many more animals than they can prop-erly care for. Investigate the many psychologicaltheories that may explain animal hoarders’ behaviorand present an oral report on the topic. Goodsources of information on animal hoarding include“People Who Hoard Animals,” by Dr. Randy Frost,in the April 2000 issue of Psychiatric Times(www.psychiatrictimes.com) and www.hsus.org.(Enter “animal hoarders” into the search engine.)

Giving Their AllCompassion fatigue isdefined as stress resultingfrom caring for traumatized orsuffering people or animals.This stress disorder oftenresults in irritability, sleepless-ness, emotional withdrawal,anxiety, isolation, and feelingsof helplessness and inadequa-cy. Animal care workers, who deal with an ongo-ing flood of unwanted animals, euthanasia, andanimal abuse, are at risk of developing compas-sion fatigue, which is also common among nurs-es, emergency care workers, and rescue person-nel. To learn more about this disorder, type“compassion fatigue” into any search engine orsee the March/April 2001 issue of Animal Shel-tering at www.AnimalSheltering.org.

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ing with your local animal shelter to discuss howyou and/or your animal protection club canbecome involved in one of those programs to help

Companion Animals and the LawMost pet-related laws are enacted at the state,town, or county level. Federal laws address only asmall handful of issues facing companion animalsand their caregivers. Because pet-related laws varyso widely from state to state and from town totown, we strongly encourage you to learn moreabout the pet-related laws in your own town, city,county, or state. We have provided suggestions andresources throughout this section to help you doso. With that said, here are some pet-related lawsthat are typical in many areas of the country.

Licensing Laws and Leash Laws

Virtually all cities and towns require dogs to belicensed, and cat licensing is growing in popularity.To purchase a license, owners must provide proofthat their animal has been vaccinated againstrabies, a deadly disease that can be spread tohumans through saliva. Local governments keeprecords of the animal’s home address and licensenumbers. Besidesprotecting the pub-lic from rabies,licensing can helplost pets bereturned quickly totheir owners. Manycommunities havedifferential licens-ing laws, whichcharge less for ananimal who isspayed or neutered.This serves as anincentive for petcaregivers to havetheir animals spayed or neutered. Differentiallicensing laws place the burden of higher fees onthose pet caregivers most likely to contribute tostray and unwanted animals and the many animal-control issues related to those problems.

Most towns have leash laws that require dogs to beleashed in public areas. Such laws help make com-munities safer and more pleasant by preventingdog bite injuries, unwanted approaches by dogs,and dog-related damage to others’ property. Thelaws also save dogs’ lives, as free-roaming dogs aremore likely to be hit by cars, stolen, or harmed byother animals or cruel people. Like most of the lawsdiscussed in this section, leash laws vary greatlyfrom town to town. Some allow dogs to be off leashwhile on their owners’ property or in dog parks;some allow dogs to be off leash only if they havebeen well-trained to respond to voice commands.Some leash laws have provisions that require own-ers to clean up after their dogs in public areas.Although fairly uncommon to date, more leash lawsare beginning to address the issue of free-roamingcats. Those laws require that cats be kept on theirowners’ property and not allowed to roam.

Think About It

What are the benefits of leash and licensing lawsto animals? To individual people? To communi-ties?

Explore the Issues

Investigate the pet-related laws in your own state orhometown. You can gather information about lawsby visiting your state’s official homepage. Type yourstate’s abbreviation into www.state.(state abbrevi-ation).us. Another excellent resource for investi-gating your state’s laws is www.AnimalLaw.com,which includes a searchable database of all statepet-related laws. To learn about local ordinances inyour city or county, contact your local governmentor animal care and control officer. Laws to researchinclude:

• Does my state allow greyhound racing?

• What are my state’s laws regarding poundseizure? (See more about pound seizure on p. 38.)

animals in your community. After your project isover, be sure to let us know about it at humaneteen@nahee.org.

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• What are my state’s anti-cruelty laws?

• What pets are legal to own in my state? Whatanimals does my state prohibit people from keep-ing?

• Are licensing, leashing, or dangerous dogsaddressed in my state’s laws?

• Are there any laws in my county regarding dogtethering? Free-roaming cats?

• Does my state have any statutes regarding ridingor driving horses on public lands?

Consider compiling an outline of your state’s pet-related laws. Submit it to www.humaneteen.org. Wemay publish it in a separate section of the websiteas a reference for other teens. Your outline shouldinclude brief explanations of each law, as well as alist of resources (websites, articles, and books) toconsult.

Take Action

Perhaps you’ve been approached by a not-so-friendly dog or witnessed birds in your backyardbeing stalked by a neighbor’s cat. Though pet-related laws exist to help keep communities andanimals safe and happy, many people don’t followthe laws. In some cases, the reason is ignorance:They are simply unaware of the laws and theirimportant purposes.

Along with your animalprotection club, con-sider launching a cam-paign to raise aware-ness of your town’spet-related laws. Topicsto investigate includelicensing, leash laws,free-roaming cats, anddog tethering.

For information, con-tact your town or cityhall and your local ani-mal shelter or animal

control officer. If you live in a larger city, you mayalso be able to find information through a simpleInternet search.

Once you’ve done your research, determine howyou are going to spread the word. Some ideas

include giving a speech in a general assembly atyour school, making public service announcementsover your school’s PA system or perhaps your localradio station, displaying posters, brochures, andflyers throughout your community, giving presenta-tions to elementary schools in your community,and writing articles or letters to the editor of yourlocal newspaper.

When preparing your campaign, keep these tips inmind:

• Be straightforward. State the law and the reasonbehind the law.

• Be respectful and upbeat. Stress the benefits tothe whole community. Avoid accusatory or overlynegative language.

• Include contact and resource information forpeople who wish to know more about your town’slaws.

• Be catchy! Fun slogans and photos will helpattract people to your campaign.

Anti-cruelty Laws

All 50 states have anti-cruelty laws. However, thelaws differ greatly from state to state, affording ani-mals a varying range of protection. Basically, statelaws protect most domestic animals (includingpets) from neglect, stating that they are entitled tofood, water, and shelter. They also acknowledgethat animals should not be abandoned, poisoned,or treated cruelly. Some laws clearly identify whatconstitutes animal cruelty; others leave that deci-sion up to judges and law enforcement officials.

Thanks to legislativeefforts of animal pro-tection groups andwell-documented evi-dence linking animalcruelty with humanviolence, more than 30states now classify ani-mal cruelty as a felony,a serious criminaloffense that may resultin imprisonment andheavy fines. Specificfelony provisions and

• You’ve probably heard of people keeping wildanimals such as sugar gliders, prairie dogs, chin-chillas, or hedgehogs as pets. But did you knowthat many other wild animals are kept as well—from rattlesnakes to skunks to crocodiles? Do anInternetsearch forinformationabout thecare of exoticanimals. Com-pare theclaims ofcommercialwebsites that sell exotic species with the facts andviews presented by animal protection groups.

Dangerous Dog Laws

In light of recent dog attacks, some communitiesare passing ordinances that address “dangerous”(or vicious) dogs. Those laws require people withdangerous dogs (dogs who have been determinedto be dangerous by a court of law) to take certainprecautions to protect others. For example, a dogwho has been determined to be dangerous may berequired to wear a muzzle in public. His caregiver

Laws Regarding ExoticAnimals as Pets When it comes tokeeping wildlife aspets—includinganimals such astigers, bobcats,lions, chim-panzees, rat-tlesnakes, andcrocodiles, amongmany others—whether it’s legaldepends on where you live. Federal laws regulatethe importation of exotic animals into the U.S.,but they do not address private possession.Many states ban the possession of exotic ani-mals. Others simply require a license or a permit.Additionally, many cities and counties have ordi-nances that restrict what kinds of animals peo-ple can keep.

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definitions of animal cruelty vary greatly from stateto state. Some consider animal cruelty a felonyonly in cases involving a dog, cat, or other com-panion animal. Most state anti-cruelty laws do notextend protection to farm animals, wildlife, or ani-mals used in research. Some states impose prisonsentences and hefty fines for people convicted ofanimal cruelty; others fine as little as a few hundreddollars or impose sentences of a few days in jail.

Think About It

• Why, do you think, do most state anti-crueltylaws exclude farm animals? Why are companionanimals afforded more protection than other ani-mals?

• Do you think there is more cause for concern ifa person deliberately harms a pet dog than a wildanimal? Explain your answer.

• List five reasons it is beneficial to have strictlaws on ownership of wild animals.

Explore the Issues

• It’s hard to believe that anyone would hurt ananimal on purpose. Yet across the country, manyanimals suffer from intentional acts of cruelty,whether they’ve been beaten, set on fire, hanged,shot, or poisoned. Why do some people hurt ani-mals? Why is animal cruelty a problem for both ani-mals and people? What can you do to stop animalcruelty in your community? For more informationabout this serious prob-lem, check out Under-standing Animal Cruelty, a24-page study and activ-ity guide written espe-cially for teens. Under-standing Animal Crueltyexamines the conceptsand causes associatedwith animal cruelty,state and federal lawsthat address the mis-treatment of animals, and the connection betweenanimal cruelty and domestic violence, child abuse,and other violent behavior. To order, send $3 toNAHEE, P.O. Box 362, East Haddam, CT 06423-0362. Understanding Animal Cruelty may also beviewed and downloaded in the “Get Into theIssues” section at www.humaneteen.org.

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may have to buy liability insurance that would payfor dog-bite related injuries.

Other communities are expressing interest in lawsthat would prohibit people from owning certainbreeds of dogs, particularly pit bulls and Rottweil-ers. Such ordinances, they believe, will help keeptheir citizens safer from dog bites and maulings.Likewise, some landlords do not allow renters withcertain dog breeds. And insurance companies areknown to refuse to issue or renew homeowners’policies to people who own specific dog breeds.

Many animal protection organizations, includingThe HSUS, oppose breed-specific dog laws andpolicies, because dogs who belong to so-called“dangerous breeds” can and do make loving, faith-ful companions. Such laws, they say, penalize thosepeople who take good care of their dogs and dis-criminate against individual dogs who may not posea threat to a community. Those laws also ignore thefact that other dog breeds may be considered dan-gerous as well. Instead, the most effective laws arethose that place the legal responsibility for a dog’sactions on the owner.

Explore the Issues

Diane Whipple, a lacrosse coach from San Francis-co, California, was mauled to death in her apart-ment building by her neighbors’ two Presa Canariodogs. The case attracted national media attentionand highlighted the serious problem of dog attacks.Research the case online. Could responsible dogownership have prevented the attack from occur-ring? What was the outcome of the trial? Do youthink that the dogs’ owners received a fair sen-tence? Why or why not?

Take Action

Looking for a project that will allow you to getinvolved with local schoolchildren and help animalsat the same time? Consider implementing theBARK (Be Aware, Responsible, and Kind) Dog BitePrevention Program in an elementary school nearyou. With the BARK Dog Bite Prevention Program,you or your animal protection club can help keepkids safe around dogs, reduce the number of dog-bite-related injuries in your community, and posi-tively enhance the bond between people and dogs.Developed by The HSUS’s youth education divi-

sion, BARK is the only program of its kind that’sbeen proven effective in teaching elementary-schoolstudents how to behave safely around dogs.

The BARK program consists of a 25-minute videoand a fun, easy-to-use, 31-page activity book oflessons,repro-ducibleworksheets,and color-ing pagesdesigned toteach kidshow toavoid beingbitten. Youand yourclub mem-bers can take turns leading classrooms through theentertaining, informative lessons and answeringquestions about safety around dogs. It’s a greatproject you can do for your health/physical educa-tion or social studies class. The complete BARKDog Bite Prevention Program costs $23.95 andmay be ordered online at www.nahee.org/shoppingcart/ or by sending a check or moneyorder to NAHEE, P.O. Box 362, East Haddam, CT06423-0362.

Pound Seizure Laws

Most states allow animal shelters to turn over theirunclaimed animals to medical schools and researchlaboratories for scientific experiments. Some stateseven require it. This practice is called poundseizure.

Humane organizations oppose pound seizure lawsfor numerous reasons. Such laws, they say, destroythe trust between animal shelters and communitieswho believe that animals relinquished there willeither be adopted or humanely killed. Out of guiltor fear that their animals may undergo painfulexperiments, people may be reluctant to surrendertheir animals, even if they are unable to provideadequate care for the pets themselves. Additionally,it has been argued that pets seized from sheltersdo not make appropriate research subjects, sincethey are often of unknown heritage and may becoping with existing diseases or behavior problems

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that could complicate research. In some states,pound seizure is against the law.

Think About It

Do you think it is acceptable for companion ani-mals to be used in research? Do you think thereis a difference between using former pets anddogs who have been raised to be sold intoresearch? What about strays who may or may nothave been part of a family at one time? Explainyour answer.

Explore the Issues

Interested in learning more about pound seizureand animal research? Check out Science and Con-science: The AnimalExperimentation Contro-versy, a study andactivity guide for high-school students andtheir teachers. Majortopics include the his-tory of and currenttrends in animalexperimentation, theuse of animals ineducation, biomed-ical research, andproduct testing, and the developmentof laws, alternatives, and other initiatives toimprove standards for animal care and scientificresearch alike. You can view and download theguide for free at www.humaneteen.org. Click on“Science and Conscience” under “Get Into theIssues.” To purchase a copy of Science and Con-science, send $3 to NAHEE, P.O. Box 362, East Had-dam, CT 06423-0362. You may also order online atwww.nahee.org/shoppingcart/.

Take Action

Pound seizure is banned in more than a dozenstates. Learn more about this controversial practiceand how you can help stop pound seizure in stateswhere it is still allowed. Visit www.banpoundseizure.org.

Federal Laws Regarding Companion Animals

Animal Welfare Act

Passed in 1966 and amended several times since,

the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is a set of laws thatgovern the treatment of animals in research, test-ing, experimentation, exhibition, and entertainment.Regarding companion animals, the AWA addressesseveral serious problems facing companion animals.Here are some of the AWA’s major pet-relatedpoints.

• The AWA prohibits sponsoring or exhibiting ani-mals in fighting ventures (e.g., dogfighting) and thetransport of animals across state lines for such pur-poses.

• According to the AWA, the Secretary of Agricul-ture issues licenses and maintains records on ani-mal dealers and exhibitors, including dog breederswith four or more breeding females. Under theUSDA, inspectors are responsible for ensuring thatbreeders (i.e., puppy mill operators) provide ade-quate care for their animals.

• The AWA seeks to prevent the sale or use ofstolen pets for medical research.

• The AWA outlines housing and husbandry stan-dards for animals in research laboratories, some ofwhom are animals commonly kept as pets, such ascats, dogs, and rabbits. Interestingly, the AWA doesnot extend protection to birds, mice, or rats—ani-mals who are kept as pets but are also frequentresearch subjects.

The AWA does not cover pet stores or small, pri-vate breeders. Currently, it also allows anyone whobreeds dogs (no matter how many they have) to beexempted from license and inspection under theAWA as long as they are selling the animals directlyto the public themselves. While this makes sensefor small breeders who are keeping their dogs intheir homes as part of the family, it is unfair toallow individuals who may have several hundreddogs to operate without any oversight at all. Sever-al animal protection groups are trying to convincethe government to correct this inconsistency. Forupdates, visit the Doris Day Animal League websiteat www.ddal.org.

Explore the Issues

Read the Animal Welfare Act at www.nal.usda.gov/awic/legislat/awicregs.htm and select one of thecompanion animal related issues it addresses. Usingthe Internet and library sources, investigate how well

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that law is enforced. When you’ve completed yourresearch, write a brief overview of what you’veuncovered and send it to humaneteen@nahee.org.

Horse Protection Act

In 1970,Congressenacted theHorse Pro-tection Act(HPA) toban thepractice ofsoring (see

“A Sore Subject” on p. 20). This federal law makessoring a criminal offense. The USDA is the govern-ment agency charged with enforcing the HorseProtection Act. Despite 30 years of governmentregulation and intervention, soring still occurs inriding competitions. The difference is that trainersgo to great efforts to conceal soring in order toescape detection by inspectors. When the HPA wasenacted in 1970, a ceiling on its funding was set at$500,000. Congress has never funded the HPAeven to that level. As a result, the USDA has neverhad enough funding to ensure proper enforcementof the HPA. To learn more about the HPA and readthe act in its entirety, visit www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/hpainfo.html.

Explore the Issues

Pets for Lifefocuses on com-panion animalsin the U.S. Whenit comes to legis-lation, how doother countriestreat pets? For ahistory or geog-raphy report, research another country’s compan-ion animal laws. You may wish to narrow your areaof concentration to a specific topic, such as animalcruelty laws, exotic animals as pets, or dangerousdog laws.

What’s in a Word?Under current laws, animals are consideredproperty. If someone hurts or kills your pet, youwould most likely only receive the cost of veteri-nary bills or the amount you paid for the animal.A group in Denver, Colorado, is seeking to ele-vate the status of companion animals from prop-erty to “companion.” Col-orado is one of severalstates that allows peopleto leave money and prop-erty to pets in their wills.

In several cities, includingBoulder, CO, Amherst, MA,and Berkeley, CA, as well asin the state of Rhode Island,people who have pets arenow called “guardians”instead of “owners.” Although this change doesnot alter companion animals’ legal status, propo-nents of the new language believe it will help movepeople away from the idea that animals are prop-erty to do with as we wish. To keep current on thelegal status of animals and pet-related laws, checkIn Defense of Animals’ Guardian Program atwww.guardiancampaign.com.

Think About It

Under most current laws, if someone sus-pects his pet suffered or died as a result ofa veterinarian’s error or negligence, he canfile a malpractice lawsuit. In most courts,however, the maximum amount of money hecould expect is the cost of the veterinaryprocedure and the cost of buying a new pet.With a few exceptions, courts do not gener-ally award damages for a pet’s sentimentalvalue to his caregivers. If companion animals’legal status changes, how might that changedecisions in veterinary malpractice suits?Should people be allowed to sue veterinari-ans for unlimited sums if their pet dies orsuffers under treatment? Why or why not?

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Be a Best FriendThroughout this guide, we’ve focused on issuessurrounding pets and animal shelters and suggest-ed ways you can help animals in your community.Here are some more ways you can make a differ-ence for companion animals.

Get the facts before getting a pet. Too manypets are relinquished because their owners wereunprepared or unwilling to make a lifetime commit-ment. Before you bring home a pet, research infor-mation on the animals’ life span and requirementsfor shelter, food, exercise, training, grooming, andveterinary care. Be sure that you have the time,money, and desire to properly care for the petevery day for his or her entire life. Take intoaccount life changes that may affect your ability tocare for a pet, such as going away to college, mov-ing, or getting a new job.

Spay or neuter your cat or dog to help preventpet overpopulation. Contrary to popular belief,spaying and neutering do not cause pets tobecome lazy or overweight. Those problems arecaused by too much food and too little exercise.Spaying and neutering offer significant health ben-efits to pets by reducing their risk of some kinds ofcancer. And sterilized dogs are less likely to bitethan dogs who have not been spayed or neutered.If you or your family cannot afford to sterilize yourpet, contact your local humane society or animalshelter or check with www.pets911.com for refer-rals to low-cost spay/neuter clinics.

Train your pet. Petswho have been prop-erly socialized andtrained are welcomemembers of society,not nuisances orpublic health threats.Remember, behaviorproblems are a lead-ing cause of pet relinquishment, and virtually all ofthe pets surrendered to shelters never receivedbehavior training.

Have your cat and dog wear a collar and identi-fication (ID) tags. Nobody intends for pets to

become lost, but unfortunately, animals sometimeshave a way of getting loose. If your pet is lost, IDtags increase the likelihood of him or her beingreturned safely. Consider having your pet implant-ed with a microchip that contains a unique ID num-ber. Painless and fairly inexpensive, micro-chippingis gaining more popularity in the U.S.

Follow local licensing laws.Licensing laws protect ani-mals and the communitiesthey live in by requiringthat all vaccinations arecurrent. (Rabies, for exam-ple, may be spread fromanimals to people, so thisvaccination is especiallyimportant.) Licensing lawsalso enable pets to bereturned home in the event that they get lost. Ifyour town does not require your pet to belicensed, be sure that he or she is current on vacci-nations and wears a collar and ID tag.

Take pets toannual vet-erinarycheckupsand keeptheir vacci-nations up-to-date.Bring yourpet to theveterinarian

for a checkup as soon as possible after bringinghim or her home. To preserve your pet’s goodhealth, maintain a rigorous schedule of veterinarycare. If you or your family cannot afford your pet’syearly exams or vaccinations, contact your localanimal shelter to see if they offer low-cost veteri-nary care. Your veterinarian may also be willing tooffer reduced rates or payment plans.

Walk your dog on a leash and keep your catindoors. Pets allowed to roam face many dangers,including cars, cruel people, wild animals, and dis-eases. They may also be a danger or a nuisance to

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communities, by biting people, damaging property,or causing traffic accidents when people swerve toavoid hitting them.

Consider your local animal shelter a first sourcefor adding a new pet to your family. Animal shel-ters have a wide variety of animals up for adoption,from purebred pups to cats to guinea pigs. Don’tassume that you won’t find the pet you’re looking

for—ask! Byadopting a petfrom a shelter,you’ll gain a newbest friend andpossibly save ananimal’s life. Breedplacement groupsare also goodplaces to searchfor purebred catsand dogs. If

you’re looking for a horse, equine rescue groupsoften have horses up for adoption.

Make an emergency plan for your pet. Discusswith your family how you will care for your pet in

the event of a disaster. Makearrangements to keep yourpet with you. If it isn’t safefor you to stay at home, itwon’t be safe for animals,either. Prepare an emergencykit for your pet. For a list of emergency pet-care kititems, visit www.hsus.org.

Never pur-chase apuppy from apet store.Almost allpuppies in petstores comefrom puppymills. Speakwith pet store managers or send letters that polite-ly explain the problems with puppy mills and whyyou will not patronize pet stores that sell puppies.The HSUS regularly receives calls from well-inten-tioned pet caregivers who purchased a dog at a petstore. Customers are often told by pet-store staffthat the puppies were not purchased from puppy

What to Do If You Suspect Animal CrueltyMistreatment of animals is a concern, because it is wrong to cause another living creature unnecessarypain or suffering. Intentional cruelty is particularly disturbing because of what it signals about the per-son inflicting it: He or she needs help. People who are cruel to animals may well have suffered (or be suf-fering from) abuse themselves, or they may behave violently toward other people. That’s why it’sextremely important that you report any animal cruelty you hear of, witness, or suspect. Here’s how:

1) Get the facts. Write down the date, time, location, and any details you can remember, includingdescriptions of the people or animals involved. If someone else also witnessed the act, ask for that per-son’s name and contact information in case officials need more witnesses. Photographs and videotapesare also helpful, if it is possible (and safe) for you to take them.

2) Get help. Don’t handle something as serious as animal cruelty alone. Ask your parents, school coun-selor, a teacher, or any other adult you trust to help you report your case.

3) Get on the phone. Contact your local humane society, animal shelter, sheriff ’s department, or animalcontrol officer. You can find this information in your telephone directory. Be sure to provide all the infor-mation you have gathered. Be aware that your complaint will be taken more seriously if you are willing toprovide your name and contact information. However, if you are reporting a friend, neighbor, or familymember and feel uncomfortable giving your name, you may make complaints anonymously. It is better tomake an anonymous report than none at all.

For more information about animal cruelty and its connection to human violence, see www.hsus.org/firststrike. There, you’ll find suggestions for ways you can educate community members about thisimportant connection.

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Want to adopt a pet? Checkwww.petfinder.org.

mills. Because “puppy mill” is not a legal term andmay be defined differently by different people, it isunlikely the store could ever successfully be prose-cuted for the statement.

Don’t leave a pet alone in a hot car. Tempera-tures inside parked cars can reach deadly levels in amatter of minutes, even with the window crackedopen. On warm days, leave your pet at home. If yousee a pet locked in a hot car, try to locate his orher owner. If you can’t find the owner, call thepolice. Your quick action could save an animal’s life.

Don’t let dogs ride in the back of a pickuptruck. They may be injured or killed if the truckstops or turns suddenly. If a dog falls from a truckbed, he may cause a traffic accident when vehiclesswerve to avoid hitting him.

Help your local animal shelter. Suggestions forvolunteer work at animal shelters can be found

throughout this booklet inthe “Take Action” sections.For more ideas, give yourlocal shelter a call and findout how you can be of themost help. Keep in mindthat some shelters’ insur-ance policies prohibitminors from workingdirectly with animals. Ifthat’s the case, there arestill many other ways you

or your animal protection club can help, fromfundraising to implementing a public awarenesscampaign in your community.

Speak up for animals. Write letters about com-panion animal issues for your school newspaper orto the editor of your local newspaper. Make sureyour information is accurate and your writing ispolite and respectful. Your points will be takenmore seriously. School projects and presentationsare also excellent ways to spread the word aboutanimal protection issues.

Start a club. As any activist can tell you, there’spower in numbers. Consider forming an animal pro-tection club at your school. For tips on how tostart a club and make it successful, see “Start aClub” at www.humaneteen.org.

Continue learning about companion animals,issues facing them, and how you can help. A listof excellent resources follows.

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RESOURCESINTERNET

American Animal Hospital Association, www.healthypet.com

American Association of Equine Practitioners,www.aaep.org

American Humane Association, www.americanhumane.org

American Kennel Club,www.akc.org

American Society for thePrevention of Cruelty toAnimals, www.aspca.org

American Veterinary MedicalAssociation, www.avma.org

AnimalConcerns.org, www.animalconcerns.netforchange.com

Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights,www.avar.org

Delta Society, www.deltasociety.org

Doris Day Animal Foundation, www.ddal.org

The Humane Society of the United States,www.hsus.org

HumaneTeen, www.humaneteen.org

The Latham Foundation, www.Latham.org

Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruel-ty to Animals, www.mspca.org

National Council on Pet Population Study and Poli-cy, www.petpopulation.org

North American Police Work Dog Association,www.napwda.org

Pets911, www.pets911.com

Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy,www.tufts.edu

Working Dogs, www.workingdogs.com

BOOKS & JOURNALS

American Pet Products Manufacturers Association,

Inc. 2001-2002 APPMA National Pet Owners Survey.Greenwich, CT: APPMA, Inc., 2002.

Animal Welfare Institute. Animals and Their LegalRights. Washington, DC: Animal Welfare Institute,1990.

Beck, Alan,and AaronKatcher.Between Petsand People:The Impor-tance of Ani-mal Compan-ionship. WestLafayette, Indiana: Purdue University Press, 1996.

Christensen, Wendy, andthe staff of The HumaneSociety of the UnitedStates. The HumaneSociety of the UnitedStates Complete Guide toCat Care. New York: St.Martin’s Press, 2002.

Clutton-Brock, Juliet. ANatural History ofDomesticated Mammals.

Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge UniversityPress, 1999.

Coppinger, Raymond, and Lorna Coppinger. Dogs: ANew Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, andEvolution. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2001.

Curtis, Patricia. The Indoor Cat. New York: TheBerkley Publishing Group, 1997.

Lane, Marion S., and the staff of The Humane Soci-ety of the United States. The Humane Society of theUnited States Complete Guide to Dog Care. Boston:Little, Brown, 2001.

Randolph, Mary. Dog Law. Berkeley, CA: Nolo Press,1997.

Salem, Deborah J., and Andrew N. Rowan, ed. TheState of the Animals 2001, 2003. Washington, DC:Humane Society Press, 2001, 2003.

Serpell, James. In the Companyof Animals: A Study of Human-Animal Relationships. Cambridge,United Kingdom: CambridgeUniversity Press, 1996.

Slater, Margaret. CommunityApproaches to Feral Cats: Prob-lems, Alternatives, and Recommen-

dations. Washington, DC: Humane Society Press,2002.

JOURNALS

Anthrozoös, the journal of the International Societyfor Anthrozoology (ISAZ). Ordering informationavailable at www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAB/anthro~1.htm.

Society and Animals, the journal of human-animalstudies published by Psychologists for the EthicalTreatment of Animals (PSYETA). Articles and order-ing information available at www.psyeta.org/sa.

Notes

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Teach Kids to Care About Animals

From greyhound racing and circuses to puppy mills,dogfighting, and mistreatment of companion ani-mals, animal suffering is all too common in oursociety. Yet so many of the causes of animal abusecan be reduced through humane education thatteaches children how to make better choices foranimals. You or your animal protection club canreach elementary-school kids through NAHEE’sAdopt-a-Classroom program. When you adopt aclass, each child in that classroom receives his orher own copy of KIND (Kids In Nature’s Defense)News, an award-winning newspaper for kids fromkindergarten through grade 6. It features articles,puzzles, projects, and celebrity interviews thatteach children compassion and respect for people,animals, and the environment.

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