Kittens and puppies in the pet store windows may look cute and on impulse, I'm sure you'll want to buy one. However spare a thought for the estimated 130,000 dogs and 60,000 cats that are euthanized every year in shelters in Australia because there are simple not enough homes for them all. These are beautiful, healthy, loving dogs and cats that are killed simply because of people's laziness towards animals.

These deaths are avoidable. They are a result of people not desexing their pets and people 'impulse' buying cute puppies and kittens at their local pet shop. Did you know that it has been mathematically calculated that in just seven years, one female cat and her young can produce as many as 420,000 cats? That means that when the mother has a litter of say 5 kittens, and those kittens mature to produce 5 kittens of their own, then those kittens mature to have five more kittens each, the problem escalates and pretty much goes out of control! Not only does this contribute to the overpopulation crisis drastically, but it is bad for the mother cat's health to keep producing numerous litters in her lifetime. Desex your cat!

Now onto dogs.
Roughly 130,000 healthy dogs die every year in Australia. These dogs, are as stated above, healthy, devoted campanions that are sentenced to death as a result of:
a) lazy or uncaring humans not desexing their puppies/dogs (check out this)
b) humans impulse buying dogs than dumping them at shelters when they are no longer cute
c) buying dogs from breeders that breed the dogs like machines
There are so many amazing shelters out there with beautiful dogs that do not have a chance. If you are going to buy a dog, make sure it is for the right reasons and not just because 'it looked cute.' If you are not willing to care for a dog its entire life, provide it with food, water and love, or take it on walks and keep it safe than a dog is not for you.
There is no point buying one just because they looked cute in the window. This is a life we are talking about and should not be taken as a light decision.

Any vet will tell you that desexing your pet is part of responsible pet ownership. Far too many dogs in Australia are bred for profit and pet shops encourage irresponsible breeding and impulse purchasing which is why they should not be allowed to sell live animals. Not only this, they are contributing to the abandoned pet crisis astronimically!

Looking for a puppy/dog or kitten/cat?
Try these excellent shelters: (if you know any other shelters let us know!)
First of all try Pet Rescue, it is like an Australia-wide search engine to rehome dogs and cats!!

Victoria
Save-A-Dog Scheme
RSPCA (shelters all over regional Victoria)
Victorian Canine Rescue
Geelong Animal Welare Society
Victorian Animal Aid
Australian Animal Protection Society
Senior Dogs Rescue
Lort Smith Animal Hospital
The Lost Dogs Home
Beagle Rescue Victoria

NSW
Cat Protection Society
Senior Dogs Rescue
happy paws
Hunter Animal Rescue

Queensland
Best Friends Animal Rescue
Senior Dogs Rescue

ACT

Senior Dogs Rescue

South Australia
Animal Welfare League
Senior Dogs Rescue

Western Australia

Senior Dogs Rescue

AUSTRALIA WIDE
Australian Cattle Dogs rescue

Operation Toby