CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Cumberland County Animal Shelter anticipates more than three-thousand dogs, like George, to come through this shelter this year. If they're not adopted all could be euthanized.

"For every animal that dies in a shelter there is a human somewhere responsible cause if they would do the responsible thing we wouldn't have abandoned and unwanted animals," said Animal advocate, Lynne Strasser.

"Mik came in needing vet care he had surgery and set up an infection," said Shelter Volunteer.

"Twelve dogs were euthanized yesterday," said Rescue Coordinator Jennifer Farley.

And in the next few weeks dozens more will be killed; if someone doesn't come out to adopt them. The shelter is filled to the max and workers tell us they have more dogs coming in than going out.

"It's terrible in fact every one of us, it breaks our hearts, when an animal has to put down. That's why we beg the community to come to their aid," said Farley.

Pet over-population costs taxpayers two billion dollars a year, worldwide. So what's a solution to this problem?

"It's completely preventable that's why we take a lot of dogs from the South to up North - because they don't have this pet over-population problem. What will solve it is awareness and spaying and neutering," said Merry Thompson.

Thompson says people in other states are forced by law to spay and neuter their pets a law she wishes law makers in our area would adopt.

More than eight million dogs and cats are sent to shelters each year in the U.S. Out of those, more than five million are euthanized.