DEAR READERS: Annually, an estimated 7.6 million animals enter shelters in the United States; some 2.7 million of them are destroyed. Some shelters have a holding time limit because of the high numbers of animals coming in on a daily basis. This situation would be best remedied by subsidized spay/neuter and public education campaigns. The central role of animal shelters is acting as an exemplar of compassion in action. Education should be recognized and supported rather than being marginalized.

Many municipal shelters, operating under public funds and public trust, and privately operated shelters, supported by donors, are embracing the no-kill philosophy. Ideally, this means all but the most physically and emotionally incurable animals are saved from euthanasia. Shelter staff and volunteers will need basic training and protocol to follow in socializing the incoming animals, helping them overcome their fear so that they are responsive, trusting and adoptable. Many shelters use calming music, pheromones, oxytocin and lavender oil to facilitate animals' ability to cope with fear and establish trust.

The worst no-kill facilities incarcerate unadoptable animals, which can mean a life sentence of going crazy confined in a small cage -- a fate surely worse than death. Some shelters use trap, neuter and release (TNR) as an umbrella to dump cats outdoors with inadequate care rather than taking them in, often because they have no room.

Most dogs and cats coming into shelters are stressed out and need tender loving care. They should first be held in quiet quarantine rooms where they can feel safe and settle down. Many will have post-traumatic stress disorder, and a number will be traumatized from human abuse, the terror of being lost/abandoned, and possibly starved and exposed to the elements. If there is no real effort to help animals coming into shelters to overcome their fears and trauma -- for dogs this must include outside walks for at least 10 minutes once a day, and encouragement to playfully interact with caregivers -- then what chance do they ever have of being adopted? They are more likely to succumb to stress-related infectious diseases if they are kept in the shelter for more than a few days.

Also, when incoming animals' emotional states are ignored and adoptability tests are given to them in the stressful new environment, many who might eventually have been rehabilitated fail and are killed. This is a nationwide tragedy. Temperament tests have many limitations, both situational and in terms of those administering them. They can be of value but should not be used as a cover to justify killing any and all animals on a pass/fail basis.

The rampant euthanasia is a violation of the public's trust and support, as is the shipping of animals to class-B dealers who supply the biomedical industry and universities with live animals. The throwaway mentality of our consumer society with its disposable pets is a convenient myth used to justify the cruel, temporary incarceration of cats, dogs and other species kept as pets, and their continued wholesale slaughter.

The nationwide epidemic of animal shelters killing pit bulls, and municipalities even outlawing people keeping them because of the "dangerous breed" hysteria, is at last subsiding. Thousands of adoptable dogs have been destroyed because of this unfounded and discredited breed prejudice. Bad dogs come from bad people.

Animal shelters should be just that: Providers of shelter, security and proper care by appropriately trained, paid and respected staff to give all incoming animals a chance of recovery and adoption through socialization, community outreach and volunteer assistance. We owe no less to the animals who provide inestimable benefits to people of all ages -- emotionally, health-wise and spiritually -- and to the majority of people who do care about the sad fate of millions of animals still being mistreated and killed in our shelters today.

DEAR DR. FOX: I wanted to share our experience with animal bereavement.

We had two Yorkies, brother and sister. They slept each night at either end of our couch. The female died at age 16 1/2. The night after she was gone, I was turning out lights and there was Toby, by himself at one end of the couch. I was struck by his aloneness. I had bought a stuffed animal in the shape of a dog. I put it on the couch where Holly used to sleep, and in the morning, Toby was wrapped around the toy and sleeping deeply. For the rest of his life, he slept with his soft companion. He lived to be 17. -- J.H., Annandale, Virginia

DEAR J.H.: I appreciate your account of finding how a stuffed doglike gift for your grieving dog worked so well in helping him cope with the loss of his sister. Skeptics may dismiss this as mere sentimentalism, but your foresight is a credit to your ability to empathize with others, be they human or nonhuman. This world would be a better place if there were more empathy and compassionate action.

I have been deeply moved by the many accounts that readers have sent to me over the years giving details about how their animals have responded to the death of a loved one in the family. I would be happy to hear more from readers on this subject. I'd also like to hear about the remarkable phenomenon of "empathosphere," where animals seem to have some remote empathic connection, as when the family dog begins to howl at around the same time a family member dies in a hospital miles away.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: We adopted a 10-year-old 5-pound Chihuahua named Potato from the animal shelter. He was at the shelter many months because no one could touch him -- he screams and tries to bite when hands come down hear him. Nothing is known about his history.

We've had him for three years, and his aversion to hands has not improved. I've read books and consulted with those in rescue, sanctuaries, reputable breeders and the Chihuahua Club of America. He has been to training and we've tried different herbs and L-theanine. He has been worked up medically more than once (blood work, exam, X-rays, urine analysis). He drinks a ton of water and pees accordingly, but his urine is always normal even though his drinking seems compulsive.

He is a normal dog who enjoys treats, walking and playing; he gets along well with other dogs (in our household and outside). He is excited to see us and will lick my face. He likes to sit on our laps and lean into us as a way to touch. He seems to like people -- just not their hands. He looks like a normal dog until he sees a hand reaching for him, then he displays the body language of a fearful dog. The best way to describe him at these times is "spring-loaded."

Everyday things like leashing and putting on a harness or coat are very difficult. His reaction -- screaming and trying to bite -- is reflexive. I think the anticipation of being touched may be worse for him than the actual touching. Not even general anesthetic and Valium takes the edge off. Once, while waking up from having his teeth cleaned, he screamed while I tried to get his harness on. Once home, he didn't appear groggy at all. He is always on high alert.

It isn't easy, but we've found ways to work with him. Sadly, he seems to want affection but can't tolerate it. He seems to do better if petted with a blanket over him so hands touch the blanket and not his body, but he might panic at any time. One other observation: His tail is always slightly to the left: It's tucked left and it wags left.

Any ideas on how we might help him deal with everyday things that involve hands? -- L.W., Arlington, Virginia

DEAR L.W.: I applaud your patience and endurance with this touch-phobic little dog. He may be suffering from a complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or a condition seen in Cocker spaniels that is a form of hysteria associated with extremely low levels of serotonin in the brain.

A low dose of Prozac may help. You can also try giving a supplement such as 5-hydroxytryptophan to help elevate brain serotonin. Also, 1 or 2 milligrams of melatonin every morning and evening may prove beneficial. Discuss these treatments with your veterinarian. They should be easy to give embedded in a little cream cheese or peanut butter.

A blanket or towel over a dog can be very calming, and I am glad that your dog has helped you discover this. When he is covered, simply touching him with your hands may help him relax -- this is the healing power of touch, documented in my two books, "The Healing Touch for Dogs" and "The Healing Touch for Cats."

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a female dog who is the same size as my cat (17 pounds). For five years, I have been trying to keep my dog out of the cat's litter box. She not only goes for the poop, but eats the litter, too.

I have tried everything -- scolding, water pistol and loud noises. The cat is old, so I can't put the litter up high. Please help. -- S.R., Hendersonville, North Carolina

DEAR S.R.: One effective solution is to get an adjustable baby gate and secure it so there is enough space between the gate and the floor for the cat to squeeze under. Dogs have a harder time compressing their bodies.

Alternatively, if your cat is agile enough, help her learn to climb over the gate, a feat quite easy for healthy cats, but difficult for most dogs. You could also try putting the litter box in your bathroom and showing your cat where it is. This may be a good barrier for your dog.

Feeding your dog a digestive enzyme, perhaps a few pieces of canned pineapple, and 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt may be another solution if the litter box issue has a nutritional or digestive disturbance origin.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.com.)

DEAR READERS: Proper preventive health care for our dogs and cats entails more than providing good nutrition; a safe, stress-free and clean environment; the satisfaction of behavioral needs; and a caring and understanding primary caregiver. It must include an annual wellness exam by a veterinarian, a key factor emphasized by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association responding to a decadelong decline in the utilization of veterinary care. But too many primary caregivers fish for animal health and behavior answers on the Internet -- including on my own website -- and in the process could put their animals at risk, especially when an annual veterinary examination has not been done.

I applaud people assuming more responsibility for their own and their animals' preventive health care. It's true that I berate some veterinary health care providers in my books for overprescribing vaccinations, anti-flea drugs and special prescription diets, and for performing questionable diagnostic tests, all of which add to the costs of a wellness exam. However, there is no better person than a veterinarian to advise, on an annual basis after a full physical examination and basic blood panel evaluation, if you are on the right track with maintaining your animal companion's health and well-being.

Make the wellness exam part of the needed annual blood test for heartworm prior to resuming post-winter preventive medication; this exam should evaluate kidney and liver function, blood glucose and other essential health indicators. A visit to the veterinarian is stressful, especially for cats, and I am encouraged by the increasing number of veterinarians doing house calls and in-home wellness exams. This is also of great help to the elderly and the homebound.

An annual wellness exam may reveal neglected dental issues, early signs of kidney failure, heart disease or endocrine dysfunction, and you can nip the problem in the bud -- ultimately saving animals from considerable suffering, pain and distress.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our two wonderful female miniature longhaired dachshunds just turned 7 years old in July, and every year at their annual checkup, our veterinarian wants them to have their teeth cleaned. Unfortunately, that means sedation, and since our other two dogs (a female dachshund mix and a female poodle-Chihuahua mix) "contracted" congestive heart failure within months of being sedated for their teeth cleaning and then passed away within a year, we are vehemently against having our dogs sedated.

We brush their teeth every other day and give them fresh carrots and occasional Greenies to help with tartar. Unfortunately, working full-time, we end up not getting them brushed on a daily basis, which we know is preferable.

The vet continues to almost harass us every year to have their teeth cleaned by their office. We are not against teeth cleaning; we are against having them be sedated to have it done. When we brush their teeth, they give us a hard time, but it is nothing that we cannot handle.

Now our family is in search of a veterinarian or veterinary dentist who will perform a dental cleaning without sedation. Do you know if such a thing is possible? We are due to take our dogs to the vet at the end of the month, and I know she will give us a hard time about bringing them back in for a dental cleaning. -- L.K., Alexandria, Virginia

DEAR L.K.: I hear from many readers whose veterinarians are insisting on sedating, even anesthetizing, their dogs and cats for routine dental cleaning (scaling tartar as needed) and oral examination. Other veterinarians are doing the treatment simply with an assistant providing safe and effective physical restraint. For animals with diagnosed or possible heart disease, mild sedation to reduce the fear associated with being restrained and the violent escape response that may then be triggered may be necessary.

Many veterinarians promoting preventive health care are prescribing VetzLife oral care spray or gel to help keep their clients' animals' teeth and gums healthy. As a routine application, this is easier than daily brushing. It is also for use for a few days prior to dental work being done in cases where tooth extractions are needed. Also available at lower potency from Petzlife, this formula helps reduce oral infection and inflammation. For details, visit Petzlife.com. To find a holistic veterinarian in your area who does not use general anesthetics for routine dental work, visit holisticvetlist.com

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.com.)