Rough Draft 2nd Essay

You Should Adopt An Animal

Eight million homeless. Four million killed. Millions neglected and starving for
attention. All of them helpless, innocent, and defenseless. This happens year after
year. The victims… Animals.

If you adopted an animal from a shelter, you would be saving a life. Each year
eight million cats and dogs are cared for in shelters, half of which are euthanized.
They are euthanized for reasons such as going insane from being in their kennels for
to long, over crowding in shelter and not being able to adopt them out to families
after a certain amount of time. Every year in Utah alone 30,000 cats and dogs are
killed in animal shelters. The top three animal killing counties in Utah for 2005 were
Davis County with 21% of the euthanizations, Utah County with 19%, and Salt
Lake County with 18%. St. George Animal Control officer April McManus said the
number of euthanized pets in the state is “ungodly.” and “Some are healthy and
completely adoptable animals.” It is a shame that so many helpless, innocent,
and defenseless animals are murdered year after year. And what’s worse is that it is
legal.

Did you know that pets are good for your health? A study at the State University of
New York at Buffalo showed that people with pets had lower blood pressure
readings than those without pets. Another study conducted by UCLA in 1999 found
that AIDS patients with pets we more capable of coping with the stress caused by
their illness. But the patients without pets were twice as likely to report signs of
depression.

Pet owners have a higher survival rate after a serious illness, than non pet owners.
Two studies have shown that after a year, heart attack patients with pets are more
likely to be alive than those patients without a pet. Another study conducted at City
Hospital in New York found that having a pet increases the survival rate, even more
so than the companionship of a spouse or friend.

Here are some positives to owning a pet. Pets make great companions. They are non
judgmental and love unconditionally. They don’t care what race you are, how you
dress, or what you look like, they just want to be loved and cared for. They are very
affectionate if treated with love and respect. You can bring them to nursing homes,
teach them tricks, bring them on walks, or just have them sit on your lap while you
pet them.

It is definitely a shame that so many helpless, innocent, and defenseless animals are
murdered legally each year by no fault of their own. But it is amazing what they can
do for us if we just give them the chance.