(This is Sandy, a 4 year old female, mixed breed--Available for adoption in Brooklyn. She has 2 days to live)Approximately four million dogs are euthanized each year in shelters throughout the United States. Government-funded shelters are required by law to euthanize a dog after keeping the animal for a minimum number of days. This minimum is determined by the state in which the shelter is located and whether the dog was found as a stray or abandoned by its owners at the shelter.
One individual has decided to do something about this alarming statistic. Alex Aliksanyan made some money in the Internet travel business but, more importantly, he is an advocate of pet adoption. Mr. Aliksanyan spent half a million dollars to start The Buddy Fund, Inc., a nonprofit organization which operates a very unique website. The website works with over 120 government-funded shelters all over the country. Dogsindanger.com lists dogs tagged for euthanization, along with a clock showing how many days or hours remain before the animal will be destroyed. Users of the site can search for a dog by location, breed, or time until scheduled death. The website has been in operation for three weeks, and has saved dozens of dogs all over the country from destruction by placing them in new homes.
As a further inducement for use of the site, it is provided totally free of cost for both the shelters and people looking for pets. The website posts photos of animals it has been able to place under a section entitled "Success Stories". Unfortunately, it also has an "In Memoriam" wall for those dogs who were not adopted in time.
Although the shelters are governed by law and are not truly at fault, it is cruel to kill an animal simply because it does not have a loving home to care for it. Mr. Aliksanyan has made it possible to save many who would otherwise perish.
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