People adopted animals like crazy during the lockdowns, but quite apparently did not actually think things through when they took home the pets. You know, like helping your dog with separation anxiety when you eventually go back to work or school.
Shelters and animal rescues across the country have seen a spike in returned pets.
Who the fudge returns any pet? The only reason I can think of is the pet got aggressive. But even then something has to trigger it!
KDVR in Colorado reported animal rescues in the state have seen people returning dogs they adopted during the pandemic because normal life is coming back.
My heart is killing me:
“We made a lot of changes to our adoption process to prevent people from returning dogs once pandemic ended. But for the past four months, we have had an extreme number of returns. We have doubled more than what we normally do during a year. I think what is happening, the world is opening up, people are going back to work, they’re traveling. People aren’t just lonely anymore, so the dogs are not necessarily fitting into their lifestyles, and they are returning them instead of trying to make adjustments to keep their dog now that the world is opening up,” Aron Jones, executive director of Moms and Mutts Colorado Rescue said.Moms and Mutts Colorado Rescue said people have had a change of schedule and a change of heart. “It’s awful. We watch these dogs come in the front door. Their people fill out all the paperwork and drop them off and the dog sits at the door and cries,” Jones said.
Moms and Mutts Colorado Rescue have more than 200 dogs. They need donations:
“We are going through 25-30 bags of dog food a week because we have so many returns, the adult dogs are eating a full bag of food a week. Then all of our puppies are bigger. We really just need to be able to sustain these dogs until they get adopted, really become a financial burden for us. Without any adoption fees, we are dying,” Jones said.They want to encourage people to adopt and know there are options like training and doggie daycare for people to consider before returning a pet.
Here are some links for those in Colorado. Please help them out!
It’s not just Colorado. Lucky Dog Animal Rescue in Virginia has witnessed an increase in animal returns. Please help them out, too!
Fort Bend Animal Services and Adoption Center saw a lot of “pet returns” in the beginning of 2021, but it has slowed down.
Pasadena Animal Shelter did not notice an increase. The shelter is at capacity with 216 animals.
This is the last state. I am finished searching “pet returns.”
The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) said a lot of residents have returned the pets they adopted during the pandemic:
Bryn Rogers, assistant director of the MSPCA’s animal care and adoption centers, said in a phone interview Monday that her group last week polled 500 recent pet adopters, 24 percent of whom said they’re concerned their pets will have separation anxiety when they’re back at work.“It’s a valid concern people have if you’re returning to work,” Rogers said.She said her group suggests new pet owners provide enrichment toys for their animals to enjoy in their absence, and that they ease pets into being home alone before office return dates by leaving the residence for brief periods to see how they’re acclimating, gradually increasing the solitary time leading up to the commuting shift.
Massachusetts Humane Society has not seen more pets coming back, but that does not mean it is not happening.
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