Still a Need to Help Rehome Local Owner Surrenders and Stray
The high cost of living still seems to be one of the reasons driving so many pet owners to make the heartbreaking decision they never thought they would have to make – surrendering their beloved pet. Compounding the problem is the decrease in adopters, the nationwide shortage of veterinary staff, and shelters continuing to be at capacity.
Some people think these issues are just being seen in the bigger cities, but here in the suburbs, we struggle to keep up with the demand for local surrenders and strays. More than a few times, we have heard of pet owners choosing to live in their cars to delay surrendering their four-legged family member until the thermometer dips too low. Due to shelters having long waitlists for surrenders, we see animals that seem well cared for and found as strays or even left in our parking lot. In the past, these stories were much less common, and unfortunately, we are hearing heartbreaking reasons for the relinquishment of pets.
At this moment, even in our small shelter, we have seven cats and five dogs that are all local surrenders due specifically to loss of housing. Many of these animals are housetrained, have lived with other animals, and have been around people of all ages.
How can people help Baypath?
There are many ways to help, such as donating time and items, opening your home and becoming a foster or an adopter.
- Foster – consider fostering a dog or a cat so that we can help with the increase in demand. We will help match the dog or cat that best suits your lifestyle, provide all the food and necessary supplies, and always have support from our shelter staff.
- Donate – if you are planning an office party or having a holiday party, request items from our wish list or make a monetary
- Volunteer – check out all the opportunities to become an on-site cat, dog, transport, or cleaning volunteer.
- Adopt! We have a shelter full of wonderful animals just waiting to be in a home this holiday season.
How does Baypath help the community?
Baypath has always been community-minded and is here to help you by providing a resource page with assistance programs for pet food, housing issues, and low-cost veterinary care.
- Pet food assistance – these pet pantry resources across the state help people find access to food and other critical supplies for their pets.
- Housing Concerns – these resources across the state address housing concerns and considerations for pet owners, from pet-friendly housing to temporary housing needs for more urgent situations.
- Low-Cost Veterinary Care – These resources across the state connect pet owners with low-cost veterinary care – from routine wellness to spaying and neutering and more.