Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a shelter
    • ex. We brought the lost dog to an animal shelter where it could find a safe place to stay.
  2. overcrowded
    • ex. The bus was overcrowded, and there was no space to sit down.
  3. adopt
    • ex. Lana wants to adopt her neighbor’s dog when he moves abroad.
  4. blame
    • ex. Don't blame your brother for the broken mirror. It was just an accident.
  5. abandon
    • ex. The family is abandoning their old house. They are moving to a new one.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Animal shelters around the U.S. are extremely overcrowded. CEO Ashley Jeffrey Bouck said that the shelter near Albany, New York, is now “beyond full.” The number of animals in shelters began to rise in 2021, after the pandemic. Fewer people are adopting pets while the population in shelters keeps increasing. According to Shelter Animals Count, the shelter population in the U.S. grew by almost a quarter-million animals in 2023.

Some blame pet owners for abandoning “pandemic puppies”—or those bought during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, experts and shelter staff say that economic problems are the main reasons for overcrowded shelters. People face financial challenges as the cost of living rises. They can’t afford pet care anymore, especially expensive vet services. Other pet owners move to cheaper houses where they can’t keep their pets anymore.

Many shelter staff across the country are working to solve the population problem. They promote adopting pets from shelters. They also make programs where animals stay in temporary homes instead of shelters. Other programs help pet owners by giving them free pet food and offering pet care services to reduce costs.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Pandemic Puppies

  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people bought pets, which are called “pandemic puppies.” Why do you think a lot of people bought pets at that time? Discuss.
  • Why do you think pet owners abandoned their pandemic pets (ex. they can’t afford to raise pets anymore, they don’t want pets anymore)? Discuss.
  • Some pet owners are blamed for abandoning their pandemic puppies. Do you think owners should be blamed? Why or why not? Discuss.

Pets in Shelters

  • In your country, do you think animal shelters are doing their best to help abandoned pets? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Some animal shelters in the U.S. have a program for animals to stay in a temporary home. Would you participate in this kind of program? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Imagine there was an animal shelter that gives free food and pet care. Would you adopt a pet? Why or why not? Discuss.