The first instinct for a lot of us probably would be to get angry about people surrendering animals to shelters because of economic hardship.
That’s probably not the best place to land, though.
At issue is the fact people facing higher costs because of inflation and burdened by other post-pandemic factors such as a spike in evictions, are surrendering their pets, which is straining shelters in the county, operators said.
“We saw a lot of animals surrendered after the pandemic,” Katrina Ross, animal health manager at Galveston Island Humane Society told a Daily News reporter last week. “A lot of surrenders have come from people struggling with housing or facing eviction.”
While they were stuck at home during the pandemic, more than 23 million Americans, nearly 1 in 5, adopted a pet, according to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Many held on to their pets, but some were surrendered when workers moved back to the office.
That wave didn’t come close to what is being seen now, however, shelter operators said.
“We are beyond full,” Ross said. “We have 27 cats in our conference room. We saw our capacity peak in September, but we are expecting it to increase, especially if we do see some pets returned after the holidays.”
Such was the message at all the shelters.
“Texas is seeing surrenders and strays all over and it’s taking a toll on shelters,” said Alexandra Sierra, manager of Galveston County Animal Resource Center. “We also anticipate more animals to be surrendered after the holidays.”
League City Animal Care also is over capacity.
“We are fine in terms of cats at our facility, but we are 63 percent over capacity on dogs,” Bodmer said. “It is significant. We have some of them temporarily housed, some being housed together and some staying in our office.”
It’s tempting to argue people shouldn’t take on the responsibility of pet ownership unless they can comfortably meet that obligation.
It’s also true, however, that there’s a near constant message from society urging people to step up and be a part of solving the problem of unwanted pets.
This newspaper has been among the most frequent in that urging.
We might as well assume that people took on pets with the best intentions and things just didn’t work out.
Americans are feeling the pinch of a tough economy, and the biggest expense is the cost of renting homes, which rose nearly 6 percent between Nov. 2021 to Nov. 2022, and increased 18 percent in 2021, according to real estate broker Apartment List.
The average cost of owning a pet can range from $700 to $1,100 per year, depending on the type of pet and its size, according to the ASPCA.
For those facing eviction or potentially facing the decision of surrendering an animal, shelters have resources.
“We have many options for people in difficult situations,” League City Animal Care community relations manager Lynette Bodmer said. “We offer low-cost pet wellness for flea and tick treatment and heartworm, spay and neuter services for free from a grant and we can provide food to those who need it.”
Galveston Island Humane Society offers vaccines, has a pet pantry and is seeking funding for emergency care and boarding for those who might need temporary housing for their pet while they seek their own housing, Ross said.
Re-homing services also are offered for those who need to surrender their pet, allowing the pet to find a home without needing to go to the shelter and contribute to crowding.
Adopting a pet can be an exciting experience, but the novelty can wear off and you can be left with a lot of responsibility.
“Before you adopt, make sure to look at the big picture,” Nina Baker, of Bayou Animal Services & Adoption Center, said. “Take your time making your decision, listen to advice from others, be prepared and take classes prior to adoption. This is a lifelong commitment.”
Instead of the cutest puppy at the shelter, Ross recommends considering an older dog, which might not be as much trouble.
“An older dog will often already be housebroken and more behaved,” Ross said. “Make sure you do your research and evaluate the responsibility you’re taking on. It is not realistic to think a child can be the only one responsible for taking care of an animal.”
Before you adopt, it is also recommended to consider your financial state and know that emergencies can happen.
“Cost is the biggest thing to consider,” Sierra said. “Medical bills for pets can be very expensive. Consider if you may be moving. Make sure you think about everything.”
Those of us better circumstances can help. Shelters need all sorts of things including donations of food, money and time.
They need people willing and able to adopt animals and foster animals and people with time to volunteer to walk and otherwise interact with animals stuck in the shelters.
It’s easy to get offended at people who surrender animals, but it’s more productive and better for the dogs and cats to get involved.
• Michael A. Smith
(1) comment
This commentary pales in comparison to our southern border crisis. As the illegal immigrants stream across our wide open border, they are leaving behind thousands upon thousands of abandoned dogs that have accompanied them on their trek. This overwhelming situation doesn’t bode well for the poor animals. The lack of compassion and inability to even acknowledge this administration’s created crisis is a humanitarian as well as a k-9 tragedy.
Leroy Naschke III
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