An excellent read to dispel a common myth I hear daily. Housing insecurity is a crisis that is impacting pets too. To lose a family member, while losing the security and safety of your home, is truly unthinkable. Lately I have been spending time with the incredible team at the Muskoka Animal Centre witnessing first hand the distress from pet parents as they tearfully part from their beloved pets. Wherever possible, we offer resources to prevent surrender, however the reality is we are often too late, with not enough to offer. So let's start with the facts, dispel the myths and focus on solutions that keep families together.
In addressing the current state of animal shelters and rescues across the country, it's important to dispel a common misconception: The crisis is not due to people returning pets they adopted during the pandemic. “That was not supported by the data on a national level, at all,” Shelter Animals Count Executive Director Stephanie Filer told Marketplace by APM. Instead, the reality is families are often left with no choice but to part with their beloved pets due to unforeseen circumstances. “The more common reason is people are showing up tearfully, wishing they had other options and having to say goodbye to a part of their family. It’s hard on the animal, it’s hard on the people that are having to say goodbye and it’s really hard on the staff to have to be a part of something so traumatic, frankly, day in and day out.”
Yes! Totally agree it’s more about struggling people who have good intentions but have run into tough circumstances. We believe in giving a timely hand up to help them keep their pets and often that means help with affordable vet care.