Having a dog for the last nine and a half years has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. She’s always waiting for me at the door, she takes comfort in the company of her family, she loves cheese, and she is the best cuddle buddy I could ever ask for. We officially kept her as one of our own after one of our other dogs had puppies, but most animals aren’t so lucky.

Right now in the United States, over seven million cats and dogs enter animal shelters each year. From abandonments to abusive owners and everything in between, these animals are left without anyone to take care of them besides the generous people at various animal shelters. Although donations help in so many ways to give these animals food, water, and a place to stay, so many of these dogs and cats spend their whole lives never getting adopted.

It's amazing to see how many dogs and cats are bred each year for the sole purpose of making a profit when there are so many animals in shelters who needs somewhere to call their home. Many Americans are quick to drop hundreds of dollars for newly bred animals when they can find one just as loving at an animal shelter right around the corner.

Amazingly enough, one of the most recent fads of 2015 has been adopting pets from animal shelters. Shelters have grabbed the attention of many people through social media mainly on Facebook and Snapchat. Social media is such a main part in how we communicate today in modern society, so being able to spread the word about such a great cause while using the tools we have today is so wonderful.

Even if you are currently in college and you can’t adopt a pet, there are so many things that you can do to help these animals. Many animal shelters in your area are looking for volunteers to do various work around the facility. These jobs can range from giving dog baths, walking, and even taking photos of the animals to put on their website. If you don’t have time to volunteer, just going to an animal shelter when you have time to play with one of the animals is already doing so much. Trust me these animals appreciate your company when they can have it!

In our country, so many animals are neglected and left to fend off whatever a shelter can provide for them. As so many more animals enter animal shelters, they are running out of staff, funds, and ability to take care of these animals. It is so important to take a stand in this issue as young college students because you could be the difference in an animal living in a shelter versus living in a home.