Statistics
Animal cruelty is an crisis that is currently all over America. It is estimated that around 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. About 3.3 million of those are dogs and 3.2 million cats. This number is only the amount of animals in shelters. 
It does not account for the animals currently on the streets or in abusive homes. The main reasons animals are put into shelters are because either owners give them up or animal control finds them outside. Animal control finds lots of animals on the street because homeless animals outnumber homeless people 5 to 1. Only an approximate 10% of dogs born will find a permanent home. This means that for every 10 dogs born, nine of the dogs will not have a permanent family. 
Ways to help
These statistics are terrifying and show how harsh of a world these animals are living in, luckily there are ways that regular people like you can help support these poor animals with no place to call home. A study shows that about 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted each year with 1.6 million dogs and 1.6 million cats. There are many organizations and volunteer programs that save millions of animals from the harsh streets. The Animal Humane Society lets anyone go to their many stations across the U.S. and volunteer to save animals off the street. There are also thousands of animal care centers across America that let you donate to help their cause. So please, if you'd like to help the stray animals epidemic then volunteer at a nearby shelter. As a minimum you could take care of the pet you have and make sure they're happy.
Owning a pet
It's important to understand that pets are a privilege that you must earn. According to a ASPCA National Rehoming Survey, the most common reason that owners rehome their pet is because of pet problems. 47% of rehomed pets are dogs and 42% are cats. Pet problems can be defined as aggressive behaviors, grew larger than expected, or health problems the owner couldn't handle.
This is why when owning a pet, it's crucial that the owner understands whether or not they are responsible enough to take care of the pet. Whether it be a cat, a dog, or a bird, knowing how to take care of your pet and whether or not you have the ability to is very important. Below are some links to organizations that were founded to help animals that have no owners or are abused as well as some useful websites that I got this information from and that can give you more info on stray animals. Please consider checking them out and maybe donating to their cause.
