A little while back, I wrote about the rise of metal theft as indicative of the faltering economy. News about the economy has been slowing down, but this is another sign of the time: an dramatic increase in animals being given to shelters.
From the Fresno Bee:
Valley animal shelters are crawling with cats.
A struggling economy and an unusually fertile breeding season have combined to fill shelters with felines -- and the numbers are growing.
More than 300 kittens are at Fresno's Central California SPCA shelter, which is so full that cages are stacked on the floor, said Beth Caffrey, the SPCA's volunteer coordinator.
The math doesn't look promising: An average of 89 cats enter the shelter daily, but only 15 or 20 get adopted on a good day, Caffrey said. One day last week, only two were adopted, even when the shelter lowered prices. And more cats are being euthanized.
With home foreclosures up and disposable incomes down, people are getting rid of pets, Caffrey said. Some drop their animals off at shelters, while others simply leave them behind when they move.
It’s upsetting to hear about people having to give up their pets, especially children. That is just a heart wrenching scene to imagine: explaining to the kids that Fluffy is just too much of a financial burden. From the San Diego Union-Tribune:
The dogs sensed something was up and turned to Anna Jaramillo for answers. That only made things harder for her and daughter, Eyannah, 9, who were at the San Diego Humane Society to relinquish their beloved pets.
Jaramillo moved recently from one house in Santee to another and can't keep them.
"The bank showed up 13 days ago," Jaramillo said, with a notice that her rental property was being sold, the result of foreclosure. "The landlord didn't bother to tell me this was happening."
...
"The kids are sad, really sad," Jaramillo said of her daughter and three sons ages 6, 12 and 16.
The dogs – brother and sister – have been part of the family for 2½ years, since they were puppies. There was odd relief when the Humane Society couldn't take them this week. Jaramillo said one has anxiety, leading the other to be overprotective, undermining the physical exams required before she could leave them.
Financial struggle is saddening regardless of the particulars. Stories like these make us take note of the incredibly hard decisions folks are being forced to make in order to stay afloat. Most people don’t immediately think of pets as an expense that can be cut, but when people have already cut all the corners and pinched all the pennies and are still coming up short, the beloved pets become another cost to cut. It’s just sad. It’s very, very sad.
More from the Union-Tribune, the numbers:
It's a scene being repeated across the county, and the country, as the economy squeezes people – and their pets.
Rising costs for fuel, groceries and health care along with the housing crunch leave four-legged family members with cheaper food, fewer physicals and, sometimes, just out in the cold – on the side of the road or in backyards and houses their owners have left or lost.
"We are up 1,700 animals more than this time last year," said Dawn Danielson, director of the county's Department of Animal Services, which serves San Diego, six other cities and unincorporated areas. "There had been a steady decline over five years, and this is the first year we now have an increase. We attribute that to a lot of people losing their homes."
By law, county and municipal shelters must take strays and can take pets as space permits. The shelters put a five-day hold on strays so that owners have an opportunity to find their pets. These are no-kill shelters, and despite people's fears, shelter workers do everything they can to find homes for adoptable animals.
Not much analysis in this diary, but there isn't much to analyze. Times are hard and it hits us in unexpected and painful ways. One can only hope that this recession will turn around soon, but I fear we may be waiting until the next administration and congress to get any national leadership on the matter.
Have you had to give up your pets? Do you know anyone who has? How are the shelters in your area faring? I’ve been reading about this in California, but I’d be interested to hear about other parts of the country.