After the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, record numbers of pets were either surrendered or rescued from abandonment and brought into local shelters. A study by Grace A. Carroll, Catherine Reeve and Alice Torjussen revealed that pet adoption spiked and “the rate of relinquishment dramatically reduced during the first lockdown period to such an extent that we no longer had a waiting list and empty kennels.” Still, towards the end of the lockdown, many pets were relinquished as their owners returned to their everyday lives. Shelters said “[they] saw some of the worst cases of abuse and neglect” and that “behavioral issues [had] increased in both number and severity.”
Since then, animal shelters all over San Diego County have been overcrowded with pets up for adoption. Despite this, many shelters still have pets arriving every day. Government-funded shelters are not able to say they have no room, meaning they may have to take drastic measures like euthanasia (the painless killing of the pet) because they don’t have enough resources or space to house new animals.
Due to the high numbers of pets in shelters, families looking to help them should consider adopting, fostering or learning about shelter overcrowding and how they can help educate others. If someone is considering adding a pet to their family, it’s important that they adopt them rather than buy them through a breeder.
Rancho Coastal Humane Society’s (RCHS) PR Director John Van Zante believes fostering is an important step in a pet’s path to adoption. When a pet goes from a shelter to foster care, the pet gains a sense of security because there is more stability. Pets that have been in foster homes make smoother transitions to their new permanent homes since they have made similar transitions in the past. While shelters greatly help an abandoned pet’s emotional health, a long-term home gives the animal a chance to bond with their caretakers and enjoy their own space.
Fostering can also save a pet’s life. Van Zante recounted a story about a puppy in their care who was found abandoned and malnourished in a park. The puppy was taken from the park and brought into RCHS where it underwent medical and behavior exams. After, the puppy was placed in foster care with a trained volunteer. The puppy is now healthier, more social and is learning to trust people again. Without RCHS’s foster care program, the puppy may not have survived, proving that fostering is a vital thing for people to do if they are able.
While pets can be hard to train, take up a lot of time and involve a complicated matching process, there are still ways to help pets without adopting. People can volunteer at their local shelters and help with events such as pet food drives and fundraisers. Shelters are also in need of animal care volunteers who play with animals to learn more about their personalities and help them get adopted.
Many pets in overcrowded shelters experience higher levels of stress and anxiety. Overcrowded shelters sometimes have to house multiple pets in one enclosure, something that can add to a pet’s stress and make them act out towards other animals. Adopting from government-funded shelters frees up space and resources for more pet’s lives to be saved.
Pets can also be adopted from private-funded shelters like RCHS which rescues cats, dogs and rabbits from overcrowded shelters around San Diego County. Adopting pets from a shelter like RCHS helps free up space, giving them a chance to help other overcrowded shelters.
Adopting, fostering, learning and educating others are great ways families can help pets affected by shelter overcrowding. Adopting saves lives, but fostering and even simply getting educated about pet shelters helps put pets on a path to getting adopted. It doesn’t take much to help out, and volunteering just an hour to read to shelter dogs, play with them or run a charity event makes all the difference.
