Kalamazoo, Michigan —
Across the nation, there has been worry about the overcrowding in animal shelters. This issue has been caused by several factors, such as the scarcity of veterinarians and the rapidly rising cost of prescription drugs.
The Southwest Michigan SPCA has not been exempt from this congestion. The COVID-19 outbreak is only one of the many reasons why pets have been turned in, according to Katie Timber, executive director of SPCA of Southwest Michigan.
Adoption rates increased during the pandemic, but they decreased as people resumed in-person employment. The shutdown of veterinarian offices had a significant effect on pet spaying and neutering as well, which increased the number of pets.
According to Timber, the cost of veterinarian treatment has gone up by 30%, and the cost of some of their animals’ drugs has climbed by 300%. Timber reports that the number of pets nationwide increased by 6% in 2020 and 4% in 2021, compared to an average annual increase of only 1%. Timber is pleading with the locals to get in touch and lend a hand if they can.
“The time is now to get involved if you’re an animal lover;” she stated. Two dollars or an hour might be the amount. We kindly ask that you get in touch if at all possible since you have the potential to truly change the life of an animal in your neighborhood.”
Additionally, people can assist by giving of their time and volunteering to walk dogs.
“Animals are staying longer in shelters, so that’s really going to help the mental and physical health of that animal so that they get the exercise, so they get a chance to be a dog, because you can have the best shelter in America, and it’s still not the place to have a dog live,” Timber stated.
According to Timber, the shortage of affordable housing and rising rent are additional factors in pet surrenders.
