The recent State Farm Insurance commercial titled “Into the Wild” draws significant attention to the problem of animal abandonment- but not in a good way. The commercial makes light of a serious problem in the United States. It brings attention to the issue then intends to look at it comically. This is not funny. The only reason I believe this is not already off-air is that the central character is a game console and not an animal.

This commercial needs to be removed from circulation. State Farm should issue a formal apology and bring light to the truth of the issue surrounding animal abandonment and homeless animals in the US.

According to a 2020 article by PETA there are over 70 million homeless domesticated animals in the US at any given time. They claim that only 10% of these pets will ever be in the extensive shelter and rescue systems that provide lifesaving care and eventual adoptions for these animals. While these homeless animals are suffering, often visible in urban areas, there is very little stigma surrounding the abandonment of pets.

There are numerous reasons given by pet owners for surrendering their pets to open-intake shelters, of which I have seen many as an employee of one of these shelters. These reasons often include excuses such as lack of time available to spend with the pet, the (often completely normal) behavior of the pet, and the financial responsibility of a pet. These are all foreseeable complications of bringing a pet into your home. Animals require time, training, and money. That is not a surprise.

Animal shelters are overrun at this time. The Fulton County Animal Shelter located in Atlanta, GA is currently housing over 300 dogs in a facility built to house 180. Luckily, Fulton County Animal Control is run by a no-kill organization, but not all shelters are so fortunate. I worked at FCAS myself and I saw many pets- none of which were suited to street life- that had been abandoned and brought in by Animal Control Officers. These dogs and cats are scared, confused, and lonely. The shelter life is a stressful experience, but street life is so much worse. The lucky animals were brought into the shelter and adopted. The not-so-lucky never saw inside our walls and were forced to roam the streets for the rest of their lives.

No matter the circumstances, animal abandonment is not the answer.

Please sign this petition to re-frame the position of the public on animal abandonment. It should be a serious matter that is addressed without comedy.