Everyone has seen the commercials. Sarah McLachlan’s slow, mournful voice spilling out of the speakers as pictures of adorable animals in distress flash across the screen, forcing watchers to change the channel to avoid bursting into tears. It is easy to roll eyes and dismiss the whole “Save the Animals” speech as another hippie cause that doesn’t matter, and yet hearts melt at the sight of an animal in distress.

According to the Humane Society, 6-8 million animals enter into shelters every year, and out of that number, 60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats are euthanized. Though the numbers have gone down significantly from years past, the number of euthanized animals is staggering.

There are over 200 shelters in Missouri alone, 25 of those are no kill shelters and 5 are in the immediate St. Louis area. Shelters such as Gateway Pet Guardians, Stray Rescue of St. Louis, and Open Door Animal Sanctuary are just some of the shelters in the area that take in animals from the street, overwhelmed or oppressive homes, or from homes where the primary owner has passed away and the family members are unable to care for the pet. Placing a stray in one of these facilities ensures they live longer lives with a greater probability for adoption.

Adopting an animal rather than purchasing from a breeder reduces the amount of animals euthanized in shelters and allows the shelters more time to hold the animals without putting them down which in turn allows for even more adoption, and the cycle continues.

One family adopted Baxter, a three-year-old mutt from an ASPCA shelter, only to return him one day later for eating her tuna sandwich that she had left on the counter. A full time volunteer at the shelter stated that this type of occurrence is very common as many people don’t fully understand the responsibilities and implications of adopting an animal and wind up returning or abandoning the animal within days of the adoption.

Experimentation also adds to animal cruelty. Many experiments on animals fall under the category of necessary as researchers search to find a cure for AIDS and many other harmful or deadly diseases.

However, animals are also used in testing for cosmetic use as well. No experiment performed on any animal is illegal, regardless of the procedure. For the duration of their lives, these animals stayed in wire cages or medium to small sized boxes about the size of a shoebox. While less than half of these animals suffer pain, and only about two or three percent of animals tested are larger mammals such as monkeys, cats, and dogs, they undergo relentless testing until they are no longer considered useful.

Domestic animals of all types are easily accepted into homes, but are many times taken right back out. The staggering amount of animals in shelters or testing centers is a clear illustration of the definite need for humans to intervene in a variety of practical ways that isn’t just simply forking over money to “no-kill” animal shelters or PETA.