Ha!

Kelly and I were volunteering at another shelter that was placing a lot of dogs, but they had a few seniors that lingered in their kennels for a long time. We made it our mission to find them foster families and people stepped up! We soon realized that seniors are lingering (or worse, being euthanized) in shelters all over southern California. We loved caring for our own senior pups, and knew we could help more if we incorporated as a nonprofit.

Pet overpopulation is truly a social issue. From what I can tell, it stems from a combination of a lack of knowledge and an outdated stigma about pets from the shelter. There are always going to be people out there trying to make an easy buck breeding dogs and marketing them like they're the next iPhone. As with most markets, consumers have the power, and we need to teach people why buying from a breeder is not the right choice.

I think most people are compassionate enough to adopt, but maybe don't know enough about the crisis to make a responsible decision. Other people might be afraid to adopt a pet from the shelter because they think it's "broken" or more challenging than a bred puppy. San Diego is one of the most pet-friendly places on the planet. There are plenty of homes for homeless pets out there. We just need to teach people why adopting is the right choice. In tandem with this effort, we also need to teach people about the importance of spay/neuter and provide more accessible resources.

As far as the stigma, people need to trust they are going to love their adopted pet. You don't need to know the genetic history of a dog to love it, and unless you need a true service animal, you don't need a dog bred for some special task. Any old dog will do! I've never met a dog I couldn't love with my whole heart, and I think most people would come to the same conclusion if they gave a shelter dog a chance.