Pet surrenders up, adoptions down in SBC
As concern about the economy increases for humans, animals are
becoming a target of cutbacks as well.
”
It’s hard to say,
”
how bad the economy has been for animal adoptions said Julie
Carreiro, the animal shelter manager.
”
The rescue groups have been taking a lot of animals from us.
Animal groups are taking them out of the shelter.
”
Pet surrenders up, adoptions down in SBC
As concern about the economy increases for humans, animals are becoming a target of cutbacks as well.
“It’s hard to say,” how bad the economy has been for animal adoptions said Julie Carreiro, the animal shelter manager. “The rescue groups have been taking a lot of animals from us. Animal groups are taking them out of the shelter.”
The animal shelter is picking up one to two animals a week because of foreclosures, Carreiro said. The number of animals in that situation has picked up over the last six months. Between Dec. 29 and Dec. 31, Carreiro said the shelter had three animals come in because of the economy.
“People are scraping by. Maybe they can’t afford food or vaccines,” Carreiro said. “People are bringing them into the shelter.”
Carreiro said things such as foreclosures, moving and the lack of funding to care for an animal are reasons for surrendering a pet.
Rescue groups have also been impacted by the downturn.
“We’re still doing adoptions, but it has slowed,” said Vivian Kennedy, the president and founder of All Creatures Great and Small Rescue, Inc (ACGSR). “It could be the holiday. It is a slow period just before Thanksgiving and Christmas [and] also around tax time.”
Along with adoptions being down, the number of people having to surrender their animals is on the rise, according to Don Klein, a volunteer with the Hollister-based animal rescue Pet Friends.
Klein said that Pet Friends gets five to 10 requests for animal adoptions each month.
The requests to surrender animals to the agency are four times that.
“We redirect people to animal control. They need to know how many animals are going to be abandoned or left to some other group to be taken care of,” Klein said.
Much more of their services deal with finding pets homes. But even with that focus, Pet Friends “only has so much room and care available,” he said.
ACGSR volunteers are also being contacted to take in people’s animals.
“We can’t,” Kennedy said. “It’s very difficult for us. We have had to put a hold on taking in animals.”
Kennedy, who said she is an “extremist” in terms of caring about animals, said “more often than not, people are taking the easy route when giving up their pets.” Instead of giving up other pleasures that they enjoy, pet owners are giving up their animals.
In other cases, people are giving up their animals because they simply can’t afford to give them a home. Kennedy said that the city should enact some sort of ordinance to allow persons or families who need to move out of a house and into an apartment building to take their pets with them, rather than give them up to the shelter or an animal organization.
To adopt a cat from ACGSR is $120 and for a dog, adopters can pay up to $200. Much of the cost of adoption goes well beyond just simply feeding an animal or giving it the proper attention. Although the adoption costs help cover spaying/neutering, vaccinations, micro-chipping and a veterinary examination, ACGSR is still left to pay some of the bill.
“We don’t break even on our adoptions but we have to try and recoup something. We’re left holding a rather large vet bill,” Kennedy said.
People who adopted animals from their agency have also donated money or supplies, helping to keep the service ongoing.
“We did get some wonderful donations from people who have supported us in the past,” Kennedy said.
Even though it is a difficult time for pet adoptions, Pet Friends offers perks such as spay/neuter vouchers. According to Klein, 235 to 240 people have used their $30 spay/neuter vouchers since the program was made available in October 2008.
Kennedy said she thinks things will look up.
“I hope. I like to keep a positive outlook. I like to look for the best,” Kennedy said.
Those interested in adopting a pet or who would like more information can contact the Hollister Animal Shelter at 636-4320 or visit their Web site at www.hollister.ca.gov/Site/html/gov/office/anictrl.asp. Pet Friends can be contacted at 634-1191 or at www.petfriends.org. All Creatures Great and Small Rescue, Inc. can be reached at 636-7559 or www.allcreaturesgs.org.
