To the Editor:

My name is Kelsey Chen, and I attend school at Hollis Brookline Middle School. Did you know that each year, 2.7 million animals are killed due to not enough space in shelters? This is because people are buying their animals from stores and breeders instead of saving dogs from shelters. As a person that owns a dog adopted from The Humane Society Of Greater Nashua, this is very sad news. Animals that are from shelters can love just as much as pets from stores or breeders. I feel that all animals should deserve a chance to live a happy life. I would like the Hollis Brookline Journal to post an article about the following topic, since I know that many people read your newspaper. People should adopt animals from shelters instead of buying them from breeders or stores.

The organization ASPCA, a renowned organization that helps animals in dangerous states, states that a puppy mill is a large breeding factory where money is more important than quality. Every year, animals are placed into crowded spaces. Puppy mills remove puppies from their mothers at just 6 weeks of age. They live by themselves in a cage until sold to a pet store, they can develop lots of anxiety.

“Puppy mills usually house dogs in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions without adequate veterinary care, food, water, or socialization.” Those animals are put in terrible conditions and usually sold to pet stores with diseases, so when people are purchasing them from stores buyers may not be getting the best quality animal.

Making tons of money also comes with harm to the families that purchase animals from mills. Young animals, like children, need to be cared for. If a toddler were put in the same condition as a puppy in a mill, society would notice. Even still, these things are happening to animals and not many people know about it. Puppy mills often forget about sick animals and still have them produce causing puppies to be born with illnesses. Without knowing, people purchase these animals and then later find out about health issues having to pay large amounts of money. Mothers are starved, or shot to death when they can no longer give birth to puppies. Puppy mill owners are just using animals to make money, and then just throwing them into the trash. The ASPCA states there are about 10,000 puppy mills in the USA, meaning that many animals are still yet to saved from their horrible circumstances.

“Across the country, many shelters are crowded, challenged, and stretched for resources, so every available supply and every moment to take care makes a difference.” By adopting from shelters it is allowing more space for other animals in need.

Animals that are placed in animal shelters have a good chance of getting adopted. Only 4.9 million animals that are placed into animals shelters get adopted of the 7.6 million. Of the 7.6 million, 2.7 million are killed due to space in the shelters. Many animal shelters now have kennels for animals being killed very soon, just to see if anyone will adopt them.

Owned animals usually live a longer and happier life than strays. Since those animals no longer have to beg for food and have loving families, those animals no longer need to worry. Though some animals get adopted some may get returned to the shelter. About 29 percent of animals are returned to shelters, since some landlords do not allow animals to live in the premises. Some of those animals may get adopted but, some may not. Usually, most lost animals are found or turned into shelters are returned to their rightful owners. They are happily returned to a happy life, where that is not the case for every animal. Not all dogs may get adopting from shelters but a life in an animal shelter is much better than a life in a puppy mill.

Dogs should not be put in the circumstance when they are in small and crowded spaces. By spreading the word about where pet stores get animals, and what happens at shelters if animals are not adopted. People could start understanding that it is better to adopt from shelters.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Kelsey Chen