Keeping Animals in Homes

In communities across the nation, we see recurring issues that prevent willing pet adopters from adopting pets or keeping their adopted animals in their homes. Here are some of the most common reasons that family-pets end up in the shelter system:
Economic Issues:
Many people don’t know that most communities provide subsidized veterinary services for eligible pet parents. Caring for a pet can be costly, and in some instances, cost-prohibitive. Legal and community requirements such as vaccinations and registration fees can cost money, as can services necessary for the pet’s wellbeing. Depending on an animal’s age or medical issues, things like spay/neuter surgery, x-rays, blood tests or routine vet check-ups can add up. Without taking advantage of subsidized services, the high expense of owning a pet often leads people to relinquish animals to the shelter system; they simply can’t afford the cost of care.
Behavioral Issues:
Excessive noise, pawing, jumping, energy and destruction are all challenging traits that are common in many pets. With a bit of time and dedication on both the pet and parent’s part, these behavioral issues can be trained or managed—however, many pet parents don’t know how to go about finding the resources to fix the problem. The lack of awareness and access to behavioral training are often leading pets back into shelters, and out of loving homes.
Housing Concerns:
Unfortunately, there are many rental properties or communities that restrict the pets that residents can have. Some areas have weight restrictions, while others have breed restrictions which could exclude dogs like pit bulls, Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers. For pet parents relocating to restrictive housing like this, their only option may be to make the heartbreaking decision to relinquish their pets to local animal shelters. In addition, prospective pet parents who already live in restrictive housing will be limited to certain types of animals when adopting—ultimately putting a strain on the animal shelters in those communities.
Courtesy of www.aspca.org