Brenna Cassidy

Brenna Cassidy

 

Most citizens of the United States view the world and its resources as disposable. This perspective is not only applicable for items such as fossil fuels and water, but to our own pets that become “useless” to us. Pets that are surrendered to shelters are hopefully adopted by a new loving family, but usually they must be euthanized due to massive overcrowding in shelters. I believe many pet owners do not want to have their unwanted pets killed so they release them, believing they will survive and be happy in the wild. This is an unfortunate addition to the stray dog population and eventually the feral dog population. I think the people who release unwanted dogs are not responsible pet owners, meaning they are not likely to have had their dog spayed or neutered.  There have been feral dogs living all over the world for many years, but what many people do not realize is how far the problem has gone.

 

Feral dogs are dogs that may have been descendants of an abandoned household pet or come from a long line of other feral dogs. The largest problem with these dogs is the sheer number. Although it is impossible to tell exactly how many are roaming the streets, it is estimated there may be as many as 50,000 in Detroit, MI alone. This is only one city in the United States and the problem is even worse in many cities and countries overseas. These animals breed and their populations grow exponentially; a single female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in 6 years. Although some areas are starting spay and neuter programs to decrease population growth, unless all the animals are captured, the populations will rebound within years.

 

Feral dogs spread diseases, kill livestock, create overflowing humane societies, and even harass humans. In 2001, a 10 year old boy was attacked and killed by a pack of feral dogs. I believe this is a preventable waste of a young boy’s life. Livestock and poultry are affected as well; feral dogs largely contributed to the $37 million worth of cattle, goats, and sheep in the United States alone. Personally, I think this waste is pointless and easily avoidable.

 

As a dog lover and an individual concerned about their well-being, it is difficult to hear about people spending exorbitant amounts of money on a purebred dog instead of going to a shelter to adopt.  Even though feral dogs considered difficult to train, the reward of saving an animal’s life far outweighs the hard work training entails.  There are ways to reduce the feral dog population that must be immediately implemented. We must start spaying and neutering our pets and feral dogs, not releasing unwanted dogs, and capturing feral dogs to reduce populations. If we do not, the populations will continue to grow. Not only will this continue to be a monetary problem, but also increasingly dangerous and miserable for the feral dogs trying to survive in our cities.

 

References:

Mott, Maryan. “U.S. Facing Feral Dog Crisis” National Geographic News. August 2003.

 

International Center for Wildlife Damage Management. “Feral Dogs”                http://icwdm.org/handbook/carnivor/FeralDog.asp