I am an employee at a no-kill shelter in Ohio, where I witness the heartbreaking reality of animal overpopulation every day. Too many innocent animals are brought into shelters like ours, and worse still, into kill shelters. It is unjust to euthanize an animal that has done nothing wrong simply because there are too many of them.

I recently went on a trip to Salisbury, NC to save a possibly pregnant dog (shown above), from a kill shelter, who was set to be euthanized the same day. It is not fair to her or the possible babies to be euthanized but with overpopulation and overcrowder shelters, there isn't much of a choice. If we can limit the amount of puppies being had, we can limit how many are to be euthanized. 

Overpopulation among dogs and cats is a significant issue in our state and every other. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), millions of healthy, adoptable cats and dogs are euthanized each year due to lack of resources and space in shelters across America. This problem can be mitigated by responsible pet ownership practices such as spaying or neutering pets.

Spaying or neutering not only helps control animal population but also prevents health issues such as uterine infections and breast tumors in female pets, which are malignant or cancerous about 50% of the time according to Humane Society International. In male pets, it prevents testicular cancer if done before six months of age.

By mandating all pet owners in Ohio spay or neuter their dogs and cats, we can reduce overpopulation significantly while improving the health conditions for our beloved companions. Let's take action today for a better tomorrow for these innocent lives; sign this petition urging lawmakers to require all pet owners spay or neuter their animals.