Some animals end up at animal shelters after escaping from their homes.
Animal shelters are temporary refuge for lost or abandoned animals. International groups like PAWS, as well as local institutions, advocate for animal rights and work hand-in-hand with these organizations. Animal shelters are privately or publicly funded for the sole purpose of keeping animals safe. However, even with good intentions, these shelters encounter dangers when it comes to animal handling.
Untamed Animal Behavior
According to Animal Sheltering, a magazine of the Humane Society of the United States, animal shelter staff are often exposed to danger. Catching and confining animals of different breeds and backgrounds risks potential mishap. Accidents can happen during animal interaction, especially when the animal is acting defensive.
Domestic pets usually have a sense of loyalty when it comes to their human owners, but they are sometimes quite hostile to strangers during initial meetings. One problem is impounding pets that have been abused by their former owners. When impounded, they tend to act violent toward their well-meaning captors as marks of trauma and distrust. Pathfinder recommends that staff receive training in animal handling, animal behavior, and recognize and understand disease symptoms and disease transmission.
Overcrowding
Sharon Seltzer, contributor to the online magazine Examiner, says that the numbers of confined stray animals have grown increasingly high. Many animal shelters are overcrowded with pets who have been abandoned or treated cruelly. The same writer reports that cramped spaces result in animals being injured because of fights over food in the same kennel.
Disease
An animal shelter in Lebanon, Tennessee, closed down because of overcrowding and disease, according to Nashville's News Channel 5. Many animals found in their shelter were infected with parvovirus (known as parvo), a highly contagious disease. When animals become overstressed, their metabolism slows down and makes them more susceptible to infectious diseases. In overcrowded kennels, animals tend to catch and spread diseases quickly. Rapid spread of these diseases is a problem even with in-house veterinarians in shelters.
Disposal of Euthanized Animals
Euthanasia is a method of killing animals during which they are injected with a high dose of pentobarbital or sodium thiopental solution. Animals become unconscious and experience cardiac arrest, often within 30 seconds. These animals have a swift and peaceful death. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), as of 2006, 60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats that enter animal shelters are euthanized. Animal aggressiveness, severe injuries and terminal medical conditions are some of the reasons that animals are put to sleep.
In 2002, Environment News Service (ENS) reported that a dead bald eagle found at a Florida landfill was poisoned after eating the carcass of a euthanized animal. Residue from these carcasses was found thrown about the landfill, which affects wild predators. Rules about carcass disposal have been implemented, but these vary from state to state. The danger of improper disposal of toxic bodies remains a problem.
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