Animals adopted during the pandemic are now being returned to shelters like rental objects.
Blair Woodgate is from Gratiot County Animal Shelter, one of several shelters in the state experiencing high volumes of pet returns from owners who can no longer care for their animals.
“They got pets through COVID because they're home, and then now that they're back to work and gas prices are so expensive, they're trying to give them up because the cost is a lot,” Woodgate said.
Craig Goulet is the director of a shelter in Bay County. The good news, he said, is there are services across the state that can help provide food, litter, or other necessities to pet owners who are unable to financially care for their animals.
“I would certainly encourage people to reach out to their local shelter or Humane Society and see what is available in their area and what they need to do to go about getting some assistance,” Goulet said.
As a no-kill shelter, Goulet said Bay County accepts all adoptable animals or transfers them to a different shelter if kennels are full: The problem is, many other shelters across the state are just as packed as Bay County. As they deal with animal returns and kitten season rescues, they also have to work against declining adoption rates, which Goulet said have gone down by 40% comparing 2019 to 2021. Some kennels in Bay County that normally hold one cat are now shared by multiple.
“We'd much rather have people keep their pets than bring them into us,” Goulet said.
Shelters and rescues should be a last resort for animals in need, but Goulet said the worst case scenario is letting them go as a stray. He wants pet owners to remember to have a solid plan in place before adopting an animal.
“Life can change, jobs can change, health can change. Have a plan for that animal,” he said.
