http://www.humanesociety.org

When times are tough, the most vulnerable seem to struggle the most. Below are highlights from a recent AP article on how this is impacting Pet Shelters. For the full article see https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/no-rescue-why-animal-shelter-euthanasia-is-rising

“Pet shelters are packed while pet owners grapple with high costs. By Axel Turcios, AP, March 21, 2023

• Shelters are filling for a multitude of reasons, including a lack of vets and as pet owners’ home and financial situations change.

• Rising economic costs have made it difficult for pet owners to keep animals they adopted during the pandemic, and for rescues to pay for their care.

• While the national animal shelter intake numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels, many animal welfare organizations, like the Animal Care Centers of New York City, are struggling with capacity challenges, with more animals coming into the shelters than leaving. They say one of the causes of the rising numbers in shelters is that they are staying longer at the sites.

“As they stay inside the shelter longer, it’s not great for them mentally or physically, and many of them will break down,” said Katy Hansen, director of marketing and communications at Animal Care Centers of NYC. “They’re stressed, so they’re not showing well to potential adopters that come in. We went from an average length of stay of eight days pre-pandemic to now we’re at 13 days.”

• The Shelter Animals Count database released a report in January 2023 that shows nationwide shelter animal intake was 4% higher in 2022 than in 2021, though still lower than it was in 2019. This report also revealed that the number of animals leaving shelters remained flat in 2022 versus 2021, meaning space for animals in shelters is shrinking.

“I think this is a great time to reach out to your local shelter and see how you can help,” Caceres-Gil said. “Even if you cannot adopt an animal right now, there are many resources, there are many other ways that you can help, volunteering in becoming a foster parent.”

• According to the February Consumer Price Index, year-over-year pet food is up 15%, and pets and pet products are up 12%. The ASPCA estimates that the average annual cost of a dog is $1,391, while the average annual cost of a cat is $1,149.”

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Closing senryu: How You Can Help

Make a difference!

If you can’t adopt a dog,

adopt a shelter.