While many people turn to animal shelters or rescue organizations to adopt not shop for their next pet, the path that led a dog or cat into rescue is not often fully understood.

The answer to where they come from is complicated, however, for the most part it is preventable while complex.

We believe that the more we understand about the reasons and HOW the massive influx of homeless pets can be diminished, the sooner the rescue system will start to feel some relief.   While adoption is so important, unfortunately we can’t keep pace with the influx!

Read on to learn about the many reasons why our rescue system is currently in a crisis situation and ways to help the influx.

Strays not reclaimed

It is astonishing to learn about how may family pets end up on the loose and missing in our local communities.  Oftentimes they can be lost for an extended amount of time, so by the time the lucky ones find their way to safety at a local shelter, they could be miles away from home.  Many lost pets never are reclaimed, so they end up in the adoption circuit.

Owner Surrenders: Behavioral, Financial, Housing

Hard to imagine, but countless pets are surrendered to shelters across the land every day.  Lives counting on us to provide care and love. They are often discarded or abandoned.

Those properly surrendered to local shelters are among the first who may be subject to euthanasia.

Reasons for these surrenders vary.

Many tragically are due to lack of planning or sometimes due to a lack of resources and as a last resort.

Surrendered pets may be the result of:

– unexpected puppies born from pets that are not spayed or neutered – spay/neuter is so important to reduce this issue

– unwanted moms that were used simply to breed for “cash” offspring and no longer “needed”

– pets that have behavior problems unchecked with proper training and owners decide to surrender or the pet gets into a recycle of being rehomed

– pets with medical needs that owners can’t afford to address

– pets whose owner recently passed away and now find themselves without a home that wants to or unable to care for them

– pets that were purchased or adopted without proper consideration of the commitment or understanding of the financial and care needs required

– pets whose owners experiencing life changes that make it difficult or impossible for them to remain in the homes (i.e. moving to a place that does not allow them, change in jobs or marital status that make care exceedingly difficult).

Other societal situations contributing to the issue include breed restrictions in housing and lost pets that are not reunited.