How to handle the overpopulation of domesticated pets has always been a prickly issue. It has produced an interesting, and tragic, story in the nation of Taiwan.
Due to pet overpopulation, and a few other factors, the euthanization rate of pet animals is apparently quite high in Taiwan. One vet, a young woman by the name of Chien Chih-cheng, has had to end quite a few lives with her own hands. Amid accusations that she enjoyed the work, in which she put down more than 700 animals in 2 years, she committed suicide. She injected herself with the same toxin she used on the animals she'd been forced to kill.
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Having some experience with the problems shelters face in the US, I'm confidant that while there is no right answer, nearly everyone can agree that the system we have is… not quite ideal.
This breaks my heart. We must find a solution for this. It is so wrong to kill all these unwanted animals each year. Maybe everyone has to get a breeders license for their dogs or cats to be allowed to have puppies or kittens. Otherwise, all the pets are spayed or neutered upon purchase. I know this has holes that can be exploited. Something needs to be done. It's too sad to even think about.