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League City Animal Care community outreach coordinator Lynette Bodmer cradles Nola, a recent arrival to the shelter, in League City on Friday.
League City Animal Care community outreach coordinator Lynette Bodmer unloads donated food to be used for the shelter’s foster program Friday.
Dogs stand in transportable kennels in an overflow area at the League City Animal Care shelter in League City on Friday.
A dog rests on its bed at the League City Animal Care shelter in League City on Friday.
Katrina Ross, animal health manager at the Galveston Island Humane Society, checks on one of 27 cats being kept in the shelter’s conference room on Thursday. The shelter, like others in the county, is over capacity and seeing more owners surrendering pets.
Two senior cats sit together in a kennel at the Galveston Island Humane Society on Thursday. The pair were surrendered together by their owner and await adoption.
League City Animal Care community outreach coordinator Lynette Bodmer cradles Nola, a recent arrival to the shelter, in League City on Friday.
League City Animal Care community outreach coordinator Lynette Bodmer unloads donated food to be used for the shelter’s foster program Friday.
Dogs stand in transportable kennels in an overflow area at the League City Animal Care shelter in League City on Friday.
A dog rests on its bed at the League City Animal Care shelter in League City on Friday.
Katrina Ross, animal health manager at the Galveston Island Humane Society, checks on one of 27 cats being kept in the shelter’s conference room on Thursday. The shelter, like others in the county, is over capacity and seeing more owners surrendering pets.
Two senior cats sit together in a kennel at the Galveston Island Humane Society on Thursday. The pair were surrendered together by their owner and await adoption.
Facing higher costs because of inflation and burdened by other post-pandemic factors such as a spike in evictions, people are surrendering their pets, which is putting strain on shelters in the county, operators said.
Although inflation is cooling, Americans still are feeling the pinch of a tough economy, with high grocery prices and some areas still dealing with high gas prices.
The biggest expense Americans are facing is the cost of renting homes, which rose nearly 6 percent between Nov. 2021 to Nov. 2022, and increased 18 percent in 2021, according to real estate broker Apartment List.
As consumers look to cut costs, pets often are on the list of things that must go.
“We saw a lot of animals surrendered after the pandemic,” Katrina Ross, animal health manager at Galveston Island Humane Society said. “A lot of surrenders have come from people struggling with housing or facing eviction.”
While they were stuck at home during the pandemic, more than 23 million Americans, nearly 1 in 5, adopted a pet, according to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Many held on to their pets, but some were surrendered when workers moved back to the office.
The average cost of owning a pet can range from $700 to $1,100 per year, depending on the type of pet and its size, according to the ASPCA.
That wave didn’t come close to what is being seen now, however, shelter operators said.
“Texas is seeing surrenders and strays all over and it’s taking a toll on shelters,” said Alexandra Sierra, manager of Galveston County Animal Resource Center. “We also anticipate more animals to be surrendered after the holidays.”
Many shelters see pets being returned after being given as gifts over the holidays, but local shelters do their best to ensure that pets are not adopted this way, with Bayou Animal Services & Adoption Center including it in their application, manager Nina Baker said.
For those facing eviction or potentially facing the decision of surrendering their animal, shelters have resources.
“We have many options for people in difficult situations,” League City Animal Care community relations manager Lynette Bodmer said. “We offer low-cost pet wellness for flea and tick treatment and heartworm, spay and neuter services for free from a grant and we can provide food to those who need it.”
Galveston Island Humane Society offers vaccines, has a pet pantry and is seeking funding for emergency care and boarding for those who might need temporary housing for their pet while they seek their own housing, Ross said.
Rehoming services also are offered for those who need to surrender their pet, allowing the pet to find a home without needing to go to the shelter and contribute to crowding.
All four of the animal shelters were over capacity last week and having to make arrangements for the animals in their care.
“We are beyond full,” Ross said. “We have 27 cats in our conference room. We saw our capacity peak in September, but we are expecting it to increase, especially if we do see some pets returned after the holidays.”
League City Animal Care also is over capacity.
“We are fine in terms of cats at our facility, but we are 63 percent over capacity on dogs,” Bodmer said. “It is significant. We have some of them temporarily housed, some being housed together and some staying in our office.”
Adopting a pet can be an exciting experience, but the novelty can wear off and you can be left with a lot of responsibility.
“Before you adopt, make sure to look at the big picture,” Baker said. “Take your time making your decision, listen to advice from others, be prepared and take classes prior to adoption. This is a life-long commitment.”
Instead of the cutest puppy at the shelter, Ross recommends considering an older dog, which might not be as much trouble.
“An older dog will often already be housebroken and more behaved,” Ross said. “Make sure you do your research and evaluate the responsibility you’re taking on. It is not realistic to think a child can be the only one responsible for taking care of an animal.”
Before you adopt, it is also recommended to consider your financial state and know that emergencies can happen.
“Cost is the biggest thing to consider,” Sierra said. “Medical bills for pets can be very expensive. Consider if you may be moving. Make sure you think about everything.”
Galveston Island Humane Society, Bayou Animal Services and League City Animal Care are no-kill shelters, meaning they do not euthanize to make up space. Galveston County Animal Resource Center does its best to restrict euthanasia to illness or behavior, but might have to utilize euthanasia in rare instances.
It takes all of us to keep shelters “no kill,” Bodmer said.
“To be a no-kill shelter takes community effort,” Bodmer said. “It requires that the community fixes their pets, finds homes for animals and foster and adopt. Being a no-kill shelter also leads to the overcrowding we are seeing now. It takes us all to do our part.”
Trace Harris: 409-683-5247; The Daily News galvnews.com or on twitter at TraceH_news
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