animal shelter

Here are 11 facts about animal homelessness, from DoSomething.org, please share and help us get those numbers down:

1. Only 1 out of every 10 dogs born will find a permanent home.

2. The main reasons animals are in shelters: owners give them up, or animal control finds them on the street.

3. Homeless animals outnumber homeless people 5 to 1.

4. Each year, approximately 2.7 million dogs and cats are killed every year because shelters are too full and there aren't enough adoptive homes. Act as a publicist for your local shelter so pets can find homes. Sign up for Shelter Pet PR.

5. Approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats.

6.According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP), less than 2% of cats and only 15 to 20% of dogs are returned to their owners.

7. 25% of dogs that enter local shelters are purebred.

8. About twice as many animals enter shelters as strays compared to the number that are relinquished by their owners.

9. It's impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States. Estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million.

10. Only 10% of the animals received by shelters have been spayed or neutered. Overpopulation, due to owners letting their pets accidentally or intentionally reproduce, sees millions of these "excess" animals killed annually.

11. Many strays are lost pets that were not kept properly indoors or provided with identification.

Adopt today!

From the MAS Facebook page: "Come out to the Muncie Animal Shelter between 10am-5:30pm any day and walk an adoptable dog as you hunt for Pokemon and hatch eggs!"

You get to play Pokémon GO and adoptable dogs get to go on walks; it's a win-win! Hopefully shelters all over the country will soon offer the same thing.

Happy Kitten Season!

While that may sound like a lovely time of year, filled with fluffy tummies and tiny meows, it actually refers to the time of year when animal shelters are hit the hardest. Around this time is when all of those amorous cats who copulated over the spring have their litters. Many don't have happy healthy homes and so are stuck within shelters.

Mashable introduced an IRL cat video to help draw attention to the need for rescue help.

While there's definitely enough space for infinite cats on the Internet, finding space in animal shelters is a different story. Mashable teamed up with ASPCA to shed light on "kitten season." Between the months of April and October, shelters across the country find themselves flooded with kittens in desperate need of homes. To get involved, whether you're looking to volunteer, donate or adopt, visit an animal shelter near you.

If you need a new friend or know someone who does, you can find the nearest shelter here.

You actually can make this a Happy Kitten Season for yourself. Go and rescue!