OPINION: The impact of animal adoption and the Oregon Humane Society

By Lily Wand ‘23

By Angie Nguyen ‘24 Instagram: @leek.a.lot

*An outdated statistic regarding the number of euthanized shelter animals each year was corrected and updated according to the latest data from the World Animal Foundation.*

Every year around 6.3 million animals are placed in shelters and around 690,000 are euthanized each year including 330,000 dogs and 360,000 cats.

The importance of supporting local animal shelters is more than the potential of adopting an animal; interaction with shelters provides vital support and exposure to animal welfare. There are so many ways to support these organizations and to impact your community.

About 810,000 animals placed in shelters are able to be returned to their original homes. Shelters provide necessary refuge during times of need for pet owners including financial stress and natural disasters. The importance of supporting Humane Societies and shelters goes beyond helping strays.

People are often hesitant to adopt animals because of their personal preferences or needs. Due to popular breed trends and the easy access to breeders, many people prefer to buy. 34% of dogs are purchased from breeders, compared to 23% adopted from the Humane Society or rescues. Choosing where you get your pet has an impact.

There is an overpopulation of pets and shelters are full. Animals placed in shelters are given a chance for adoption, but often the time is limited, because of overcrowding, and many are euthanized before they can be adopted.

The Oregon Humane Society (O.H.S.) not only provides a safe home for rescued animals to stay until they are adopted, but they also provide medical services, help for new pet owners, rescues for animal neglect cases (including from puppy mills) and natural disasters, and more. They also remain transparent with their finances giving the public an easy understanding of their work.

While adopting an animal may feel risky because their past may be unknown, this cannot remain an excuse for not exploring rescue options. Many animals are put in high stress environments in shelters that can be overstimulating, causing them to show different behaviors. Organizations like O.H.S. provide training classes pre and post adoption, pet compatibility meetings, and transparent history on any known history about the animal, helping provide better opportunities for successful adoptions.

After reaching out to the O.H.S. for further insight into their work and support, Kyle Chiang was able to provide great context and knowledge. Chiang works as the Humane Education Program Coordinator, and can not only attest to working at the O.H.S. through different lenses but also has an adopted senior dog giving them hands-on experience.

From working behind the scenes, Chiang was surprised. “I didn’t expect to meet people who would adopt a cat that they couldn’t pet, or a dog that would need a $10,000 surgery in the future. Even if it takes a little while to find it, there’s a perfect home for every animal.” Not only touching on the kindness of individuals in our community, but also recognizing that every animal deserves a home and has one out there that will suit them perfectly.

From working in an educational setting, Chiang has come to understand, “I think the most helpful thing for educating is having an open mind and realizing that everyone cares about something. We come from different backgrounds or upbringings, and the way we help is different.” This is solid advice for community members who can be a voice outside the shelter to those who can support in different ways.

Willa Whalen Stewart, a senior at Catlin Gabel, shows a unique perspective of having both adopted a dog and purchased one from a breeder. Her family was in a common, but tough situation because of their need for a hypoallergenic dog.

Whalen Stewart reflects, “we worked really hard for a few weeks to find the right rescue for us, because we wanted a hypoallergenic dog and there aren't many rescues that have them.” Proving that even though rescuing a dog under specific criteria can be slightly more difficult, research and some effort can go a long way.

To quote Whalen Stewart, “shelter animals deserve a better life, especially if they already had a rough start, they deserve it even more.”