for eMaxHealthHoping to decrease the number of dogs euthanized in shelters each year in the United States, a new web site called Dogs In Danger (dogsindanger.com) working with shelters across the country is posting pictures of adoptable dogs-along with a countdown clock for each dog showing the days and hours until that dog is destroyed.
Dogs in Danger (DogsInDanger.com), is a free service both for participating shelters and people looking for pets, allowing users to search for dogs slated for euthanasia by location, breed, or time until death.
The site is operated by The Buddy Fund, Inc., a non-profit organization founded by dog lover and pet adoption advocate Alex Aliksanyan.
"We're a nation of dog lovers, but the sad fact is that shelters are forced to destroy more than four million dogs each year," explains Mr. Aliksanyan, president of The Buddy Fund. "Shelters do the best they can and manage to find homes for many dogs. Millions, however, never leave."
Hoping to prove there is a better way, The Buddy Fund has established relationships with public and private shelters across the country. These shelters will post pictures, descriptions, and euthanasia dates for dogs in their care. The site is designed to make it easy for shelters to upload pictures and keep their list of dogs current.
As in other, more conventional adoption sites, DogsInDanger.com will feature the photos of dogs who have found new, loving homes.
A unique feature of the site, however, will be a "memorial wall" with the names, photos, and death dates of dogs for whom the shelters--as hard as they tried--could not find homes.
"This is deliberately an 'in-your-face' approach to increasing adoptions from shelters," says Brenda Bush, director of The Buddy Fund. "Some people will find it uncomfortable to view a listing of dogs scheduled to die, but we believe that by making the process personal--by naming and showing the dogs about to be destroyed--we can help the shelters find good homes for more dogs."
Mr. Aliksanyan and Ms. Bush also stress that DogsInDanger.com may not be a place for parents to sit with their small children when looking for a canine family member.
"As with everything else on the Internet, parents should use their judgment to determine if their children are old enough to understand the purpose of the site and the reality of dog euthanasia," says Ms. Bush.
"All that said," she continued, "we've managed to present this heartbreaking topic as tastefully as possible. The truth is uncomfortable, but change will only come about when more Americans become aware of this national tragedy."
No Extra Work for Shelters
The DogsInDanger.com site has been designed to provide maximum help to shelters with little effort by already overburdened shelter staff. Once registered, shelters will be given any software they need to upload pictures and other information to the site. Shelters that do not own a digital camera will be furnished one at no cost. In addition, The Buddy Fund will allow shelters to decide how they wish to be contacted by people seeking to adopt a dog.
"As a nonprofit organization, we seek no other gain except for the happiness we see in the face of a dog as he faithfully walks out through the shelter doors, in perfect step with his loving new family," says Mr. Aliksanyan. "Our ultimate goal is to see a day where adoptable animals are not killed by us--their most trusted friends."
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