HENDERSON, Nev. (KTNV) — Animal rescues and shelters across the country are facing a crisis as a record number of animals are sitting in their facilities as adoptions are down.
It appears the economy and people's finances are not only playing a role in people not being able to get pets, but also influencing people's decision to surrender their pets.
I went to Henderson Animal Care and Control facility to see what they notice. This is where stray dogs and cats and pet surrenders end up.
"Out of the 31 dogs we have for adoption, we only have, six of them are strays, all the rest are owner-surrenders," said Danielle Harney, administrator at Henderson Animal Care and Control. "That is surprising to me. We don't typically look."
Time and time again this low-kill shelter has posted about being near capacity. It's a problem shelters around the nation are facing.
That is because pets are sitting in shelters longer. A mid-year report by Shelter Animals Count showed adoptions are down 4% so far this year, and pet surrenders are slightly up due to more cats being surrendered.
In Henderson, confiscations are up, but surrenders are only slightly up.
When people surrender their pets, they have to answer a few questions.
"This one, they surrendered it because it was aggressive towards their cat. They couldn't find anyone else to take it," Harney said.
Besides not being able to get along with other animals, this is what people wrote:
- "This one is unable to care for."
- "Owners were moving out of state and can't have dogs anymore."
- "Job loss, can no longer care for."
- "Moving, traveling for a job."
- "This one says the owner passed away and they can't keep it."
- "She can't come with us to a new home."
- "Unable to take proper care of."
- "Can't take with us to our new place so moving."
- "Landlord, family and issues."
- "New apartment is not allowing any pets."
- "Ability to care for and my health."
"Most of those are moving, they can't take them with, or the inability to afford the animal," Harney said.
I sat behind the desk with Fatima Gabrillo for a few hours Monday morning, the day the shelter sees the most surrenders.
"A lot of it is because they can't afford to keep them," she said.
In the three hours I was there, two surrenders came in. One man wanted to surrender two pus because of a baby in the home and shedding, but at the last minute he changed his mind.
I sat with a couple who decided to surrender a dog.
"Financial wise and we are having a baby," they said. "It's a lot, food wise, medication. We still have a bill right now for her. Hopefully she finds a good home here."
Inflation is taking a toll on may, and some pets are paying the price.
While adoptions are down nationwide, the good news is that report shows euthanasias are down so far this year.
Harney says resources are out there.
"Many of the local rescues here offer services to the public, from free food to free medical care," she said.
For some of the resources available from Hearts Alive Village, click HERE.
