Pet overpopulation is not just a problem for shelters.

Each year communities spend millions of taxpayer dollars trying to cope with unwanted pets. These costs include investigating animal cruelty, humanely capturing stray animals, sheltering lost and homeless pets, and euthanasia.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, 6 million to 8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year; 3 million to 4 million are euthanized, 30 percent of dogs and 2 to 5 percent of cats are reclaimed by their owners.

The picture for kittens is bleak. More kittens than puppies are born every year. More kittens are given away, abandoned, die or are turned into shelters each year. During spring and summer, the shelters are filled with unwanted kittens.

Enacting mandatory spay/neuter laws will go a long way toward curbing pet overpopulation and ending animal suffering in Northwest Indiana. Adopting from a shelter or rescue organization instead of buying from a pet store will save the life of that dog or cat. Many shelters spay or neuter their animals before they are adopted or have a low-cost spay/neuter program.

If you want a devoted pet, adopt from a shelter.

Barbara Caruso, Hobart