‘Our goal is goodbye’: Suburban shelters seek forever homes amid surge in surrendered pets

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the mission of the Save-A-Pet shelter in Grayslake.

Like many pet owners who reach out to DuPage County Animal Services, one dog lover was in desperate straits. The woman already had surrendered one of her large-breed dogs to the animal shelter and was preparing to surrender the other two because she no longer could afford them.

Determined to keep the woman and her pets together, DCAS Administrator Laura Flamion proposed a solution: The shelter would help provide dog food until the woman got on her feet financially. She gratefully agreed, and the dogs remain where they belong — with their family.

Unfortunately, sadder scenarios are playing out at shelters across the country, including in the suburbs where animal welfare advocates report an increase in the number of abandoned animals as well as owners surrendering beloved pets they no longer can afford.

Advocates say financial hardship, higher pet food prices, housing restrictions and veterinary care (which reportedly has increased 42% since 2019) are among the contributing factors.

“We’ve had a lot more requests (from owners relinquishing their pets) this year,” said Sally Hubbard, animal welfare manager for Save-A-Pet in Grayslake. “As a no-kill shelter, we only have so much space … but we work with people to help find them options.”

In 2023, the Lake County shelter had 121 relinquish requests from owners. So far this year, the shelter has received 260 such requests, Hubbard said.

“We try to help (owners) keep the animal,” she said, adding “people are grateful because they don’t want to relinquish their pet, but they don’t know what else to do.”

An open admission shelter that accepts animals, DCAS received 462 surrendered animals in 2024, said Flamion. That number has increased to 807 animals so far this year. Additionally, only 25% of found animals have been reunited with their families. That means 75% of families chose not to reclaim a lost pet, she said.

Dwindling adoptions compound the problem.

“If we don't get adoptions, we can't take in more animals,” said Hubbard of the Grayslake shelter, which takes in a wide range of animals of all ages and breeds, including some with special needs.

The shelter now houses about 100 dogs and cats on-site with another 100 in foster-to-adopt and long-term foster care.

At Anti-Cruelty, the largest and oldest shelter in the Chicago area with 350 kennels and 200 foster homes, as soon as one animal leaves another takes his/her place, said President Darlene Duggan.

She says while Anti-Cruelty has taken in about the same number of pets in recent years, “the request for support is far exceeding any we’ve seen in the past. Our calls for support are up over 50%.”

Support refers to everything from assistance with veterinary care costs to investigating reports of abuse and neglect, Duggan said.

Stressed pets

Advocates say pet stress increases as adoptions dwindle and shelter stays lengthen.

For that reason, Flamion and her counterparts encourage foster care which helps animals decompress. It also allows caregivers to observe the pet to better match the animal with a forever family while freeing up staff members and volunteers.

In August, Save-A-Pet's average length of stay was 70 days. At Anti-Cruelty, dogs and cats stay for 20 to 25 days on average. At DCAS, small pets stay on average seven to 10 days, Flamion said.

Rabbits and larger, harder-to-place animals stay up to three months.

“The longer animals remain in shelters, the more likely they are to suffer from kennel stress, which can impact adoption,” Hubbard said.

Duggan concurs.

“It is often a very scary environment for these animals … new scents, noise, unpredictability,” she said.

“We have a saying: Our goal is goodbye. We want to see them placed as quickly as possible,” she said, “and we’re doing all that we can to make them as comfortable as they can be when they’re here.”

That includes playtime with other shelter pets and volunteers, enrichment activities and days out.

Keeping families together

Flamion says studies on the animal-human bond suggest pets are not a luxury item.

“They are basic necessities,” she said, which is why advocates work so hard to keep pets in their homes. That typically involves financial assistance mostly for veterinary care.

To that end, DCAS — which opened its new facility earlier this year — hosts free vaccine and microchip clinics. The agency also provides free spay/neuter services for animals whose owners qualify. Flamion hopes increasing staff and volunteers will allow them to expand services.

“What we’re seeing is that people are opting not to go to the vet at all,” she said. “Those animals are suffering. They’re coming here in rough shape,” making them harder to adopt.

“It’s challenging,” Flamion said. “We have a shortage of veterinarians and vet techs.”

Save-A-Pet employees direct owners to breed-specific rescues, organizations that help rehome pets, pet pantries, animal sanctuaries, organizations like Spay and Stay and veterinary clinics including AHA! The Alliance for Humane Action that offer low-cost spaying/neutering and other care. Those and other resources are listed at saveapetil.org.

Cash donations and donations of DCAS wish-list items are found at dupagecounty.gov/animalservices.

“We'll take what you've got,” adds Duggan of Anti-Cruelty, which accepts monetary and other donations including new or gently used toys, treats, food, accessories, blankets and towels. A list is available at anticruelty.org.