Cowering under a parked pick-up truck, slinking through weeds at the side of the road, or staring out of cinderblock cages …. They’re everywhere and yet invisible. In America there are millions of them: homeless, lost or abandoned dogs and cats.

How is it in our modern society where billions of dollars are spent each year on such things as doggie daycare, pet strollers, neon claw polish, organic pet food, and designer collars that there is such an appalling flipside to the same coin?

The Humane Society of the United States estimates that over a million dogs and cats will be “euthanized” this year in animal control facilities across the United States. Why are we still allowing pet stores to sell puppies and kittens, when the county is spending millions of dollars to kill puppies and kittens? Why are dog and cat breeders filling their backyard kennels with litter after litter, when EVERY breed of dog or cat is already available at an animal shelter or rescue group nearby and desperate for a home? Clearly, a realignment of priorities is needed.