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A veterinary blog for pet lovers, vet voyeurs and the medically curious...
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Toss ‘n runs haven’t been very common at our place since the late seventies and early eighties. The early nineties saw a spike. And it’s been a slow trickle ever since…until now.
There’s nothing worse than seeing a box with kittens on the doorstep or a dog tied up by the back door when you come in to work in the morning. Mostly they’re young and rehomable and we can handle the extras. But if the shelters’ increased relinquishment rates are any measure we’ll be seeing a lot more before it’s all over.
We’ve talked here about the horses and the property and feeding expenses. Property foreclosures and grain/hay prices have skyrocketed, leading to a bevy of beasts with no land to graze and no owner to rely on.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the same trend among pets. Cats and dogs whose owners’ homes have been foreclosed on are being surrendered to shelters at record rates.
And it’s not just shelters and veterinary hospitals providing the stopgap for others’ financial woes. Around these parts, many owners are simply skipping town or abandoning their homes with cats set free to roam and dogs left on their neighbors’ porches.
At least that’s been the experience of some of my clients’ this week. They’ve been taking over their neighbors’ responsibilities with the resignation of those who know it’s senseless to complain…when the responsible party’s relocated elsewhere and likely never to return.
So far my neighborhood’s been very stable. But then, mine seems the home most likely to be foreclosed upon. Everyone else has been living here for eons with most of their mortgages paid for and any possible second one's in manageable territory.
Still, the cats roam the streets and the irresponsible occasionally allow their dogs to roam…but it’s no comparison to what’s been happening elsewhere, it would seem.
The toss ‘n runs and neighborly takeovers are one sign, for sure, but the local shelters have got it far worse. Pet relinquishment is up by about 5% so far—not a big deal here yet, but our South Florida bubble’s on a slightly different schedule than that of the rest of the country. At least we’ve got South American money to shore us up—for now, anyway.
Elsewhere, pet abandonment rates are still soaring as home prices continue to freefall and foreclosure discussions dominate the local news. Noticeably absent in these often practical reports is advice on what to do with your pets in an economic downturn should your in-laws refuse to take on your pets when you move back in with them.
I’m sure these situations spawn more stress than most of us could ever imagine…will the kids have to change schools, whether to sell one of the cars, where to live…!? I guess it’s no surprise that severe economic hardship means the non-humans in the household will often be last on the to-do list.
For now, we’re taking the newcomers in stride, offering good-faith discounts where necessary and taking in all the toss ‘n runs—for now. It’s manageable so far, but it’s a worrisome trend I’ll be keeping you posted on in the weeks and months to come.
What’s it like where YOU live?
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"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
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- Mohandas Gandhi
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Seems a lot of people are having to leave their dream "gentleman's farmer" places, between the loans and the costs of commuting to work ... and the animals are paying the price.
Our local shelter has 2 to 3 animals a week just tied to the fence, sometimes with a note sometimes not. Our shelter is no kill but I know they are stuggling just to keep up with the number of ani,als they are getting in. Our local vets all give very good discounts to the shelter and two local vets sit on the board. I think we are going to see the problem just get worse, while people like us just keep trying to do more.
If people had any confidence that their animal would get a new home, I think they would be more likely to take it to a shelter. I certainly do not excuse animal abandonment; euthanasia is better than starving to death. But I don't think it will get better until this country is closer to being a no-kill nation.
Rescue centres do their best, but often run out of room, and resources. When I got my cat from there, he was in a cage with about 7 others. Its not just the space - its the food, medication, litter, other items needed to care for them. And volunteers. And adult animals, especially cats, can be difficult to rehome.
I don't have a simple answer - just observations. Maybe councils need to put more resources into this problem. Where I live there is no pound for cats, so if the rescue centres can't take them, you have little option but rehome them yourself, leave them running free, or having a vet put them down if they are old or sick. Or TNR if your vet will comply.
Many vets here offer a rehoming service, but some of the smaller practices would struggle because of the extra resources needed to take care of the animals, for no payment.
I had someone leave 2 kittrens barely 6 weeks old with a note that said they lost tier house and didnt know what to do I called all the rescues and no one could take them I finally had to call my vet who is an old friend and she was able to place them .