I've been a volunteer at the local animal shelter for three years now, and I keep asking myself whether our adoption events actually help or just make us feel good. Last month we adopted out 14 cats and dogs, which sounds great, but I noticed that at least five of those homes returned the animals within two weeks. Are we truly addressing the root of pet overpopulation, or are we just moving animals from one temporary situation to another? I'm starting to wonder if we should focus more on spay and neuter campaigns instead of just pushing adoptions.