Our love of dogs and cats by the numbers

News and headlines for July 22 - July 28, 2023

A University of Oxford study finds that there is no such thing as a meat-eating environmentalist. It found that “vegans have just 30% of the dietary environmental impact of high-meat eaters.” In addition to reduced emissions, “vegans also had just 25% of the dietary impact for land use, 46% for water use, 27% for water pollution and 34% for biodiversity.” But a plant-based diet isn’t just more environmentally-friendly than a “high-meat” diet. The study concluded “that even the least sustainable vegan diet was still more environmentally-friendly than the most sustainable meat eater’s diet.” And that doesn’t include the abuse and killing of animals.

These are some of the stories making headlines in animal protection:

The Berkley, MI, City Council voted 4-1 to outlaw the retail sale of commercially-bred animals in pet stores. Pet stores generally get their animals from Commercial Breeding Enterprises (CBEs), commonly called ‘puppy mills.’ And CBEs engage in systematic neglect and abuse of animals, leaving severe emotional and physical scars on the victims. One in four former breeding dogs have significant health problems, are more likely to suffer from aggression, and many are psychologically and emotionally shut down, compulsively staring at nothing.

Laws of this kind serve three purposes:

1. Encouraging people to adopt/rescue;

2. Educating the community about dog and cat (and rabbit) abuse in mills; and,

3. Stopping that abuse.

And they work. The number of commercial breeders nationally has declined by 30%, and “Nebraska Department of Agriculture records show that half of the state’s commercial dog and cat breeders have left the business,” thanks to these laws.

The ordinance must still be voted on once more before it becomes law. If it passes, the owner of a pet store where puppies are sold will be given two years to phase out puppy sales and begin working with rescue groups or animal shelters to offer animals for adoption. Whenever anyone adopts an animal, a life is saved, and the store benefits by having the new pet owner buy their needed supplies. The pet store also gains a new customer for years. It’s a classic win-win. Unfortunately, the store’s owner suggests he may file a lawsuit instead.

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Hudson is available for adoption and waiting for you at Chippewa County Animal Services.

As more people turn to rescue and adoption and more shelters embrace progressive policies, the number of communities placing over 95% and as high as 99% of the animals is increasing.

• Chippewa County, MI, reported a 98% placement rate for dogs and 98% for cats.

• Montrose County, CO, reported a 99% placement rate for dogs, 94% for cats, and 100% for rabbits and other small animals.

• Otsego County, MI, reported a 99% placement rate for dogs, 96% for cats, and 100% for other small animals.

These communities and national data prove that animals are not dying in pounds because there are too many, too few homes, or people don’t want the animals. They are dying because people in those pounds are killing them. Replace those people, implement the No Kill Equation, and we can be a No Kill nation today.

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Do you have what it takes to save lives? The following communities are looking for someone to run their animal shelter: