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If you have ever had to put a pet down, you know how hard this can be. In a painful time, knowing that your pet is in a quiet room, surrounded by people who love them is the best gift you can give them. Unfortunately, not all animals are lucky enough to end their lives in this way.
Every day, innocent animals are killed because shelters do not have enough space or funding for more animals. The word shelter means to protect, but many shelters are having to end the lives of animals because they haven’t been adopted yet or are taking up space.
Shelters need more resources and support to prevent this from happening so often. To keep shelters from becoming “high kill,” we need to make helping these shelters and animals a priority. Often, these pets have already been abused, neglected, given up on and abandoned. They deserve to have people believe in them and show them that they are cared for. All animals deserve the chance to find their forever home, no matter how long they’ve been waiting. There shouldn’t be a time limit on that.
Maine needs to join Delaware and Michigan in ending unnecessary euthanization of animals in shelters and encouraging the rest of the country to help animals find their loving forever homes, no matter how long it takes. People can help by adopting instead of shopping, donating to or volunteering at their local low-kill animal shelter, and advocating for these animals.
Grace Slaybaugh
Osborn
