There are countless stray and feral animals in Aotearoa who suffer tremendously. It’s estimated there is around 196,000 stray cats alone1. The lives of animals on the street consist primarily of fighting over territory or a mate, and constantly trying to find food and shelter. They face the constant threat of starvation, as well as diseases and injury. With no human guardian to take care of them, parasites, illnesses and injuries go untreated. They live in fear.
Most people feel sorry for stray animals. However, this issue will never be solved unless we address the root cause: breeding. When breeders sell animals they usually sell them without being desexed. This is where the whole problem originates. One person takes home a dog or cat who is not desexed and at some stage they inevitably come in contact with another animal who is not desexed. This could be another animal in the household or a stray or feral animal, or someone else’s pet who has escaped and wandered. You won’t believe how easily an unfixed female animal will somehow become pregnant.
Once the animal has had her babies the problem rapidly gets worse. People whose animal has accidentally gotten pregnant usually sell or give away the babies, again without having them desexed. In their new homes these animals can quickly become pregnant or get other animals pregnant. At some stage this leads to unwanted animals who end up without a home. Unfixed stray animals continue to breed with each other, or peoples pets, leading to more and more stray and feral animals.
Meanwhile breeders continue to purposefully bring more and more animals into existence even though there are already innumerable animals desperately needing homes, and selling them without having them desexed, continuing to exacerbate the problem.
When you think through it like this it becomes perfectly clear how important it is to always have your companion animals desexed. If you adopt an animal from a shelter they will most likely already have been desexed by the shelter. So if you are thinking about getting a companion animal, adopt one from a shelter instead of buying from a breeder. This way you provide a home for an animal in need, and you are not part of the animal welfare catastrophe caused by breeders selling unfixed animals. Be compassionate and be responsible – always adopt and never shop.
References:
See for yourself the reality of animal agriculture in this shocking documentary. Using undercover footage, “Dominion” exposes the true horrors you are paying for when you buy animal products.
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For Animals. 
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