The expense of keeping a pet can slam a budget

It appears no one is immune from the effects of inflation, even pets.

"We have definitely seen an increase with people trying to surrender animals," said Jocelyn Birt of Auglaize County Humane Society. "We've also seen a decrease in adoptions." This is occurring with both dogs and cats, she said.

Birt noted a variety of motives for the surrender of animals. The reasoning for many is situational. If a renter moves and the new landlord does not allow pets, the owner must find a new home for the beloved pet.

Birt said some owners feel they no longer have time for a pet. That is a constant issue and has not changed much, although people working longer hours for extra pay could contribute to the situation.

The expense of keeping a pet can add to an already tight budget. The cost of food and vet care can become prohibitive. Those working fewer hours feel an increased strain on their finances. It all adds up, especially in multi-pet households, Birt said.

Dawn Keller, Jay County, Indiana, Humane Society echoed the comments.

"We get a lot of calls wanting us to take in animals because they can't have them in their place, or they've had to move and downsize," said Keller.

She sees a lot of dumping of animals. Many are found in residential areas. She believes the owners are going through hard times and hope someone with means will find the animal and take it in.

"It could be financial and they don't know what to do," she said. "There's nobody to help them."

Keller believes in some situations that dumped dogs belong to a breeder who cannot sell the pups or no longer wants to breed the dogs.

For an example, in Mercer County 20 doodle dogs were recently found abandoned and some observers felt an unscrupulous breeder might be responsible.

Some people come to the shelter wanting to surrender, but that is not often the case. More frequently, Keller will encounter someone with an animal that they say is a stray, but she believes it could be a pet that is no longer wanted. "We try to do what we can for the community when it comes to the animals, as much as we can," she said.

Mercer County dog warden Tom Powell said there were a lot of people wanting to adopt dogs for companionship during the COVID-19 pandemic. That has changed and there are fewer people looking for dogs now.

Local veterinary services have noticed an increase in clients. Coldwater Animal Clinic's veterinarian Urban Seger, sees more new clients with pets that were adopted during the pandemic.

People were working from home or not socializing as much so they wanted companionship. He now encounters more pets with anxiety as their owners go back to work.

Up until the recent dumping of the doodle dogs, Tom Powell saw no real change in strays or loose dogs in the county. At the time of the interview, Powell had only one dog that was unclaimed.

Keller said during the pandemic there were a few open kennels at the Jay County shelter, but that is no longer the case. They cannot keep a kennel open, she said. As fast as one opens, they have another dog in.

At times they need to board dogs elsewhere short term because they are out of room.

"We have been overly full here," she said.

Adoptions vary due to the season and the adoption fees are low, but adoptions have been down for a while, Keller noted. That could possibly be due to the fee and other associated costs.

Sara Kriegel with Celina Cares, a trap-neuter-release group, has seen more local Facebook postings for re-homing of cats. The group also took in a greater number of kittens this year, but their adoptions seem to be slowing.

In Auglaize County, Birt said they are seeing more issues with strays. Pet owners often cannot afford to get their animals spayed and neutered which leads to overpopulation, especially with cats. She encourages anyone who thinks they cannot afford neutering to look for a pet clinic that offers low-cost procedures. At the time of the interview, with Birt the shelter was overcapacity, especially with cats.

Sue Cheslock manages SART, a cat adoption and rescue service in St. Marys.

"It's awful. People are abandoning their pets, cats and dogs, which are part of their family." She sees a lot of abandoned house cats; people move and let the animal fend for itself.

Animals that are left alone or put outside their former homes do not necessarily find someone to take them in. Often they starve or get hit by a car, she said. She too has seen a decrease in adoptions which has only gotten worse since the pandemic. People sometimes lose jobs and money becomes short, she said.

SART no longer re-homes animals. There are 170 cats in her facility that are in need of homes. Re-homing pets takes a home away from those in the shelter.

Cheslock is a big promoter of TNR; trap-neuter-release. In the 20 years of its operation, SART has provided spay and neutering to over 8000 cats.

"We are very, very, big on TNR," she said.

Family Veterinary Services in Coldwater is a new clinic and Megan Hoelscher, veterinarian technician, said many clients are asking for just the basics in care and nothing extra. More owners are requesting medication before diagnostics and skipping what they consider unnecessary blood work. A lot of medications are on back-order which can delay treatment and lead to difficult decisions related to health and quality of life for the pet, she said.

Kriegel noted she heard complaints on the supply shortages on cat food and the rising costs. "Pets are family to most people so I think they find a way to make it work," she commented.

Birt believes since the cost of food has increased some owners are giving their pets a lower quality. Cheslock suggests contacting a local food bank if people are having trouble buying pet food as some of the non-profits are able to help with this.

Shelters and rescue operations seem to be the hardest hit by inflation. Birt has seen a decrease in quality food and litter donations. The Auglaize County Humane Society is all privately funded and relies completely on donations to operate.

Celina Cares volunteers noticed a decline in those participating in raffles, and other fundraisers.

"We rely solely on fundraisers to bring in money for vet care. We have spent over $20,000 just in vet care alone this year so it is imperative to constantly bring money in if we want to continue to help," Kriegel said.

Cheslock said many shelters are concerned how they will continue to operate due to rising costs and lack of donations. Food, litter, heating, medical and cleaning bills need to be covered. Some retailers help when a purchase is made by donating to an organization selected by the consumer. Amazon Smile and Kroger Community Rewards are examples, she said, and it costs people nothing to participate in these programs.

During the pandemic many people were cut off and it became a way of life, Cheslock said.

Volunteers are needed in all organizations and most shelters embrace the help. Caring for animals is a lot of work and takes a lot of hands. "Every shelter is suffering," Keller said. Donations of supplies, money, and time are always welcome and a good way to offer assistance. "Every little bit helps."  

Cheslock said shelters are overfilled everywhere in the country and are not the first answer to a problem.

"Our philosophy is when you take a pet into your home, it's your pet. It's supposed to be part of your family," she said.