We, the people of Arizona, respectfully demand the banning of all methods of murdering all healthy, adoptable animals in kill shelters. Create state, private, or federally funded domesticated animals sanctuaries run and managed by rescue shelters for animals to be adopted out to responsible pet owners. Impose mandatory spay/neuter laws for all pet owners and non-certified breeders.

The practice of all forms of murdering healthy, adoptable animals is the ultimate form of animal cruelty; regardless of the method and entity used to perform it.  We do not kill healthy, productive humans  because of overpopulation or minors in orphanages because they have not been adopted.  What gives us the right to kill healthy, adoptable animals for these and similar reasons?  Better solutions such as mandatory state and federally funded spay and neuter programs would effectively decrease overpopulation of domestic animals.  Furthermore, the funds allocated to the killing of healthy domesticated animals would be better used in massive state, federally, and private proactive educational campaigns to educate prospective and current pet owners on training and caring for their pets. This campaign would significantly decrease animal abandonment, neglect, and cruelty. 

Approximately 3 to 4 million cats and dogs are murderred each year in shelters nationwide. The American Humane Association reports:

“National euthanasia statistics are difficult to pinpoint because animal care and control agencies are not uniformly required to keep statistics on the number of animals taken in, adopted, euthanized or reclaimed. While many shelters know the value of keeping statistics, no national reporting structure exists to make compiling national statistics on these figures possible. “

Every day, healthy, adoptable animals are being murdered in municipal shelters in Arizona as a way to resolve overcrowding. Most of these beautiful animals could have been adopted had the public known of their impending fate or availability for adoption. Rescue organizations only get 24 hrs to find foster or adoptive homes for pets on death row. Such short notice makes the efforts of rescue organizations to save as many animals as possible from death row almost futile. These animals would get the chance to be adopted if instead of killing them, they were placed in a state or federally funded sanctuary and, if publicity campaigns focused on their availability! Most of the public is unaware of these daily occurrences and have no chance to help these animals through fostering or adoption. 

 Furthermore, although most city shelters have “fostering programs”, their publicity efforts seldom focus on informing the public about this alternative and that this program exists! Pet fostering is an effective way to save animals’ lives, to match them with the right pet owner candidate, and overcome overcrowding in city shelters.  Yet, this option is rarely brought up in publicity campaigns.

Since animals cannot speak out for themselves and have a saying on the decisions humans make that affect their well-being and survival, we - animals' lovers - must be their voices and stand up to this cruel and inhumane practice on their behalf! We must insist on the enforcement of these other better alternatives (state or federally funded sanctuaries and rescue organizations, emphasis on informing the public about fostering programs)  to solve overcrowding in city and rural shelters. We are their only hope. The murdering of Animals  to make room for others - that will most likely suffer the same fate -  is the ultimate form of animal cruelty!

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man." -Gandhi
Please, be the animals’ voice and sign this petition!