Daily Herald opinion: We can all step up to help ease pressures on burdened pet shelters
Most people get a dog or a cat because they want to add a long-term companion to their family. They don’t think the day will come when they will be forced to surrender that beloved pet.
Unfortunately, people across the country are making the difficult decision to give up their pets due to financial reasons or other hardships.
And as our Barbara Vitello pointed out in a story published Monday, communities in the suburbs are not immune. Vitello reported that local shelters have seen a dramatic increase in the number of abandoned and surrendered animals.
“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.”
DuPage County Animal Services, which operates an open admission shelter in Wheaton, received 462 surrendered animals in all of last year. That number has jumped to 807 animals so far this year.
It’s heartbreaking to think of surrendering a pet. Animal welfare advocates told Vitello that the factors compelling families to make that difficult decision include financial hardship, higher pet food prices, housing restrictions, and the rising cost of veterinary care.
Meanwhile, dwindling adoptions only compound the problem.
Anti-Cruelty is the largest and oldest shelter in the Chicago area, with 350 kennels and 200 foster homes. But as soon as one animal leaves the shelter, another arrives.
President Darlene Duggan says while Anti-Cruelty has taken in about the same number of pets year-to-year in the past, “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 explained.
Reading about the challenges they face reminds us of the important role that local animal shelters serve. The employees and volunteers at those agencies, along with the donors who support their work, deserve our thanks. They are trying to find new homes for an influx of needy animals.
If you are willing to adopt a dog or cat from a shelter, it’s a great time to do it. But even if you don’t have the ability or means to adopt a pet, you can still help a local shelter by volunteering, fostering, or simply donating.
Operating an animal shelter requires a tremendous amount of work. Volunteers help to walk the animals and provide them with attention. They also help keep the cages clean and bowls full of food and clean water.
Some volunteers provide foster homes to house and care for dogs and cats from shelters. If you don’t have time to volunteer, making a cash donation is always helpful.
It’s sad to see any animals separated from the owners who had once committed to care for and provide for them. But we could each do our part to help as many of them as possible find the forever home they deserve.