The very first Humane Society was created in 1824 in England. And the movement had its beginnings in the USA in 1866, founded by Henry Bergh and supported by the New York state legislature. It was called te American Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (the ASPCA). The ASPCA is found only in New York. The other organizations known as the SPCA are actually a collection of independent societies throughout the country, of which there are approximately 600. Those independent groups lobby the government to change legislation in order t punish those who harm animals, and encourage la enforcement agencies to enforce such legislation. They ofen investigate cases of cruelty and pass information onto investigators. They, for example, do inspections of locations where animals are regularly held. The terrible irony of these SPCA groups is that they also have a mandate to put to sleep the very animals they are struggling to help.

The SPCA is known for encouraging spaying and neutering. For example, the Pennsylvania SPCA announced that it was willing to neuter male canines that were adopted, as well as spay female canines that were adopted. The SPCA spayed thousands of female pooches in the 1970s, which it estimates has prevented as many as 100,000 litters of unwanted puppies from being born.

The problem is that this is an incomplete solution. While female dogs can produce 2 liters per year, unneutered male dogs can get as many female dogs pregnant as it encounters. That reality of numbers forced a change on the regulations, mandating that now everybody adopting either a male or female dog is obligated to pay a fdeposit that takes care of spaying/neutering costs. This money is refunded if you come back with a vet`s certificate stating that you have gotten the dog fixed. This was not a cash cow, but rather a way to force pet owners to pay attention to the issue of spaying and neutering. (It is important to note, however, that some organizations do not offer this refund, so you should double check before you decide to adopt).

The sad truth is that a lot of people do not bother to get the animal fixed when it is of appropriate age. People grow to love their puppy`s personality and fear what changes in demeanor the procedure will cause. But the truth is that any changes will make the animal a more relaxing and comforting companion.

Getting a big dog spayed can cost upwards of $500, but the problem is not normally money (dogs are generally a little expensive to keep even without such a procedure). Some SPCA units in various cities have gone so far as to offer free spaying and neutering in mobile facilities convenient for people in various far-flung communities.

A fatally injured, bleeding female Golden Retriever laid next to the hectic intersection. Commuters too busy to notice or care about the maimed animal kept on racing. Those who noticed the poor thing made excuses not to stop and help it.

This dog was a mother of four little puppies who were waiting for their mother to bring back food for them in their little hole underneath an overpass. Their mother never returned, and the young helpless pups were soon to starve to death. I don`t paint this picture to be gruesome, but to teach something positive that can help prevent this situation from happening as often in the future.

The above story is incredibly common, with thousands of unspayed female dogs having puppies and trying to help them survive without the safety and nurture of shelter and a home. Some unspayed dogs mate with un-neutered stray male dogs and produce litter after litter of pups that will never grow up to be healthy and strong.

Some of the stray animals are collected by animal services and taken to an animal shelter. These are the lucky ones because for them there is the chance of adoption by a loving family. But if they are not adopted after a certain period of time and it is determined that a home can not be found for them, they are unfortunately put to sleep.

Every type of dogs and puppies you can imagine, from pure-bred dogs to mixed breeds, from small dogs to large dogs, dogs of all shapes and colors, fill SPCA cages across the United States, waiting to be adopted and loved. They patiently wait, but some will never have a chance to experience such an achievement.

When their time gas run out then they are doomed to be put-down. It is difficult to find homes for all of them, and most people seeking to adopt show a preference for young puppies rather than full grown dogs. And new young pups reach the shelters every day, constantly reducing the chances of each animal`s adoption. The shelters work on limited funds and with limited space, making it impossible to take care of these animals forever. And this scene happens all over the world at various humane organizations` facilities.

Particularly in the USA the population of canines has ballooned in recent years due to strays inbreeding, and few homes are available for these new additions to the dog population. Purebred dogs have a greater chance of finding a home than mixed-breed dogs, but even pure-breed puppies have less than a guaranteed chance of finding a home before being put-down.

Not many SPCA facilities find homes for even 1/3 of the dogs they take in, meaning than more than 2/3 will be put-down. That amounts to thousands of dogs every year. Dogs are supposed to be man`s best friend, but we certainly don`t create the ideal conditions for them to live in. But this is something we can change with a concerted effort at a societal level. If Americans in large numers start spaying and neutering their dogs, stopping to breeding of unwanted puppies, then this problem`s scale can be drastically reduced.