Shelters across the United States are filled with yelping, meowing and barking animals. If these animals are not adopted in time to make room for other unwanted animals, they are euthanized. Animals reproduce rapidly, causing fluctuations in the animal population. It's almost literally pouring rain. An effective way to combat this problem is to spay and neuter animals to ensure they do not reproduce. Spaying and neutering animals will reduce animal populations and prevent many animals from being placed in crowded shelters and euthanized. Most people in the United States do not believe or even realize that a problem exists in the animal population. “Of the 6 to 8 million dogs and cats that enter U.S. shelters each year, 3 to 4 million are euthanized according to the Humane Society of United States (Banton 2).” 78% of the 10,000 pets that enter the Humane Shelter each year are euthanized. These statistics are not an exaggeration. Animal populations don't just affect the animals and the shelters that house them. It also impacts local cities and communities due to federal taxes paid to shelters to euthanize animals. The tax money also covers the animals' room and board while they are at the shelter. “It costs about $10 a day to care for each dog and cat; the average stay of an animal is five days (Anderson 2).” Spaying and neutering animals is not only essential for domesticated animals (pets), but also for wild animals that live in the wild and breed without restrictions. “Two unaltered cats and their offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years. Two unaltered dogs and their offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in six years (Lobeck 1).” Many... middle of paper... took the animal to the local shelter and paid a small fee. We, as a society, must make this our priority, to reduce and even diminish the growing animal population. The programs are here in the United States. “First Coast No More Homeless Pets has changed 50,0009 (pets) in the last seven years. The new First Coast No More Homeless Pets has the ability to do this in just one year (Conner 1).” Many people on fixed incomes can afford the free programs mentioned above. The money for the shelters comes from federal taxes. If citizens' taxes were to pay for a Feral and Trap program, in which cats are spayed, neutered and then neutered, less money would go to animal shelters and clinics. Nonprofit organizations would get what they wanted all along. No more unwanted animals being euthanized. No more crowded shelters or clinics. No more feral cat colonies.