Kansas City has a dog overpopulation crisis. But be sure you’re ready before you adopt | Opinion

As The Kansas City Star’s Eric Adler recently reported, KC Pet Project — technically a “no kill shelter” designed to hold 140 dogs — has been forced to house more than 300 dogs as more animals are coming in but fewer are adopted out. Staff members are now having to euthanize up to 10 dogs a day — animals they had hoped to save.

At the national level, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reports that 23 million American households acquired a pet — usually a dog — during the COVID-19 pandemic. And although most of those families will keep those pets, some of them will be looking to get rid of them in the near future.

Shelters in New York and Los Angeles are nearing capacity as more and more people are dumping these animals while the world slowly moves back to normal. Meanwhile, puppy mills keep producing more, resulting in dog overpopulation. And sadly, Missouri continues at No. 1 on the Humane Society of the United States’ Horrible Hundred list, leading the nation with the most of these breeding operations.

According to a survey from the American Pet Products Association, 65.1 million American households own at least one dog, and the global dog population is estimated to be 900 million and rising as puppy mills keep adding more. Dogs purchased from puppy mills too often end up with severe health problems, and their owners incur significant medical bills, experience heartache as they watch their pets suffer, and sometimes end up taking their animals to shelters. Unfortunately, not all shelters have the resources to avoid euthanizing unwanted pets. And according to the ASPCA, 390,000 dogs are euthanized every year in the United States.

This is a sad situation because many owners feel that no one understands them better than their dogs. Michael Schaffer’s book “One Nation Under Dog: America’s Love Affair with Our Dogs” says American pet owners often refer to themselves as their animal’s “mommy” or “daddy.” Around the world too, many people regard their dogs as their “best friend” and members of the family.

However, research suggests that not all breeds are meant to be pets. Not long ago, the major concern about all dogs was their aggression. In fact, some countries regulate aggressive breeds, as most dogs involved in attacks are family dogs, although dogs generally bite as a reaction to a stressful condition. Some argue that owners are the problem for not training their dogs properly.

Moreover, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although dogs can be beneficial to the health and well-being of their owners, people should be aware that dogs of any age, including puppies, can sometimes carry harmful germs that can make people sick. Dogs can transmit a variety of illnesses to humans, from minor skin infections to serious diseases.

Owning a dog is a long-term commitment, as they can live for up to 16 years depending on the breed. Because of selective breeding and genetic variance, they come in all shapes and sizes and personalities: aggressive, serious, playful and “gentle giants.” All dogs need a lot of care and affection — sometimes perhaps more time than a young family can afford to give them, such as training them to behave properly, ensuring that they stay within the yard, walking them and getting them used to being on a leash.

The dog overpopulation problem can be mitigated when people start taking a serious look at their circumstances, such as time, money and patience. Potential pet owners should do some research, and understand the joy and or sorrow your decision can make before jumping to own a dog. As a veterinarian, I have witnessed how hard it is for an owner to give permission to euthanize an otherwise healthy, playful dog.

If you do decide to adopt a dog, opt for acquiring it from a shelter rather than from a puppy mill and get it spayed or neutered.

Mohammad Abdullah is a veterinarian and retired deputy district manager for the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service. He lives in Lee’s Summit.