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Animal shelters across the United States are struggling to cope with a massive influx of unwanted animals, forcing them to put 51,000 dogs to sleep in the first six months of this year.
While the pandemic has seen an increase in people wanting to own a pet, the resumption of ordinary life for some has triggered a toll.
Fewer animals have been neutered during the pandemic as veterinarians closed their offices, leading to an increase in the number of stray dogs.
Rising inflation over the past year has strained household finances, leaving some pet owners unable to pay for their pets’ upkeep and forcing others to move into homes smaller.
The number of animals entrusted to shelters has reached its highest level in three years, but this has not been accompanied by an increase in the number of people wanting new pets.
The result was a 37 per cent year-over-year increase in the number of dogs dropped off at shelters between January and July, according to new data first reported by Axios.
The Denver Animal Shelter put down 866 dogs and cats in late August – the highest number in five years
The Denver website features a range of dogs available for adoption, including Orlando, pictured, a four-year-old German Shepherd.
The problem is present across the country, and Americans who are considering getting a dog or cat are advised to “adopt, not buy.”
In Denver, the city shelter had put down 866 dogs and cats by the end of August, the highest number in five years.
Mélanie Sobel, who runs the shelter, said Axios that the shortage of affordable housing has contributed to the problem.
“It’s very, very difficult to find an affordable place, let alone find an affordable place that allows pets,” she said.
Sobel said many new dog owners, who took in animals during the pandemic, didn’t know how to train them and were unable to deal with the resulting behavioral issues.
She said her shelter normally moves animals to recycling centers, but they are also at capacity.
“Transfer partners are full because everyone asks them to take dogs with behavioral issues,” she explained.
Some other shelters in the area have started to refuse animals, but the Sobel site is run by the city and legally required to accept any animal that comes through the door.
The shelter recently hired its first social worker, who will work in underprivileged communities and provide free assistance, such as transportation to vet appointments.
The city’s website currently lists pages and pages of dogs looking for homes, including puppies.
A woman is pictured inside the shelter in San Antonio, Texas.
The percentage of dogs and cats slaughtered in shelters has risen from 6.7% in 2021 to 8.5% this year, according to the Shelter Animals Count.
In Detroit, the problem is so severe at the city’s shelter that animals are forced to share kennels or use temporary cages.
The shelter has culled 1,147 animals so far this year, or 31.9 percent of all animals arriving at the site.
In 2019, this rate was 23.7 percent.
San Antonio has euthanized 4,393 animals so far this fiscal year, Axios reported, greatly exceeding last year’s total of 2,956 dogs and cats.
Some cities are experimenting with new policies to combat this outbreak.
In Indianapolis and Chicago, shelters are offering money to pet owners who want to keep them but can’t afford it.
In Columbus, Ohio, people who bring lost, friendly and healthy dogs to the shelter are asked to keep them, with the shelter providing them with food and supplies.
The policies are beginning to bear fruit in some areas.
Tampa Bay began working with pet owners several years ago to help them keep their pets: Their euthanasia rate this year is at its lowest level in five years, with less than 5% of pets slaughtered .
“We started thinking more about the owner and less about the pets,” said Scott Trebatoski, director of the Hillsborough County Pet Resources shelter.
“Pets won’t get better care unless their owner is able to provide it.”