A solution to the dog overpopulation problem: Should unclaimed dogs be exterminated & more?
Before everyone gets all emotional, i ask you to first think with your HEAD and with common sense about what is possible for us to do.
I got an answer on a previous question of mine that i thought was a great answer and it outlined some solutions to the problems of the dog world:
''We created dogs as tools. First for hunting, then herding, protection, and finally rescue and companionship. So long as they are useful beyond their cost in resources, there should be no reason to destroy any given variety. Yet we are at a point where their existence sometimes does nothing but waste resources. Consider the SPCA and animal control services. We have let dogs, cats, and a few other species to propagate beyond our desire to care for them. I say we should severely punish those responsible for propagating domestic animals in useless quantities, destroy all unclaimed animals and tax the living hell out of any service or product that has anything to do with domestic pet species. It would be cheaper to cull and control the breeding of these animals than to do nothing but waste resources on keeping unwanted animals safe and healthy.''
What do you think of these solutions?
If they were put into place, would you support them?
Are there any programs or laws in your area geared towards bringing down the population of unwanted dogs? If so, how successful has it been?
Sharon - i have never owned anything but intact dogs. Never had a litter either.... strange.
I should make this clearer - i am asking about DOG overpopulation. Not human. When i want solutions to human over population, i will ask in a human section.
The two don't compare, despite what some people try to insist.
Thank you Rayven for answering the questions asked...
Shelters, pounds, rescues, re-homing centres, stray dog compounds... whatever.
Starting there because, well, that is where the excess dogs end up!
Cannot control common sense, doesn't mean the mess that is created from peoples lack of it cannot be cleaned up.
The above passage is from another users answer to my question...
I may post a follow up question as to what i think is the root of the problem and how it can be solved. The above would just be the start...
@ Jennifer M.
People do not think past their wants, i agree 100%. I would suggest denying them what they *want* regardless of their *rights*.
But, too much PC cr@p going on to do that on an effective level.
@ Bells.
I think know what you mean. All the dogs are given an equal right to be sold on, pushing up the population and need for shelters. If the space is created, it will be filled.
The RSPCA in some areas have stopped taking in dogs from the public, regardless of circumstance and just focusing on housing dogs from abuse/neglect cases... It will be interesting to see the effects of that.
Thank you to everyone who has disagreed with the solutions and actually gave real reasons as to why!
@ Uhave2be
Possibly... but, it is 15:53 here now and i have a REALLY bad short term memory. If i waited any longer i would have forgotten what i was going to ask!
Dogs have been companions ever since the first companion breed. I have ZERO issues with pets and i believe the companion breeds and similar dogs should be touted MORE as suitable dogs for that purpose.
If you think i am proposing we destroy the entire species of dogs, you REALLY didn't get it. Yes, WE created them, WE created the current mess and it is OUR responsibility to clean it up, CLEAN IT, not manage it or pander to it.
You want to debate with me about actual wild animals and the purpose they serve? Next time, come armed with facts and arguments that work in the real world.
George Carlin said about those animals better than i could:
''Let them go gracefully! Leave Nature alone! Haven't we done enough?''
We are not the 'masters of the world' but we ARE top of the food chain and the most intellectual. I am NOT a self hating human. I do not put the lives of my loved ones on a par with every bottom feeding creature on the planet. I DO discriminate to serve MY species.
I do not have children. When i do, they will be raised to look at the world how it is, not how they want it to be. They will be brought up to respect life and to know that respecting and loving life also requires some hard decisions to be made.
If you see us nothing more than a burden and a selfish cancer on the planet and that we should be doing more charitable things to help out the world, then lead by example to eradicate the cancer the humans represent. After all, charity begins at home.
Maybe you will want to actually answer the specific points in the question now??
To sum up the above basically... help those who have a chance to PROSPER successfully without becoming a burden do so!!
We didn't get to where we are now by living in trees and flinging our sh-t at each other the whole time...
What isn't part of nature.... nature is darwins law, something that we are arrogant enough to ignore.
There are many things humans do that i do not agree with and will fight against.
How exactly is this a whine? I came on, gave possible solutions to a problem we all know exists. People did disagree with my opinion - something which i ENJOY when they can back it up with a reasonable argument.
''Seeing you know nothing about me, you cannot possibly know what I am capable of believing in and fighting for.
You sound like a person who believes in nothing, and fights for nothing.''
And you know me HOW exactly?? You have NO IDEA what i fight for and believe in. You have taken small examples from my opinions and decided that you know me enough to make that judgement....
My opinion is the only one that is right? again, read above. Uhavetobe & Jennifer M and a few others disagreed, was i bitter to either of them for having a different opinion? Nope.
I'm also curious as to what i have to be bitter about? Enlighten me.
You are the one who came here and focused your answer to a previous question i asked and have yet to comment on this actual question... Hmmm....
''You whole position is based on an incorrect assumption that dogs are still just "tools" in our world. ''
As opposed to what? Regardless of what you want to believe, that is why dogs were created, to be tools and to be utilized as such.
Yes, millions of them are enjoyed as PETS. Read above what i wrote about companion breeds and many people have working dogs that also consider them pet dogs.
''And yes, you are coming across as a bitter person with nothing to care about. Maybe you should go back and read some of what you wrote in reply.''
Which part should i read back over, please do tell...
''Where are your facts again that this will work? Eradication is a quick fix for a problem that is never successful. ''
The reason i asked this as an opinion question is because it hasn't been done to establish facts! On either side of the argument.
''I could supply examples, but would not want to offend anyone with human comparisons.''
Extrapolation doesn't cut it i'm afraid...