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7/29/2022

US Shelters Overflowing! Fosters & Adopters Needed!!

8 Comments

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Picture
It is estimated that shelters are housing around 100,000 more dogs and cats than at this time last year. There are several reasons for this, including staff shortages due to Covid-19, inflation, which is making it harder for families to afford adopting a pet or keeping the pets they have, and a housing crisis. The influx of pets who were lost during the 4th of July and not claimed by their families has served to exacerbate the problem (only about 2% of lost cats at shelters are reunited with their families*).

Then, of course, there is kitten season.
City, county, and private shelters are bursting at the seams. This means that healthy, adoptable animals are at high risk of being euthanized. Several shelters announced ahead of July 4th that they may have to euthanize animals - something they have not needed to do in many years. 

Even the cats and dogs who have a space in the shelter, at least for now, often suffer emotionally and psychologically because there are not enough staff and volunteers to attend to them. In some shelters, kittens are getting only 10 - 20 minutes of playtime with a caretaker. This isn’t enough to keep a kitten feeling content or loved, and that scant human interaction can lead to unsocialized behavior in kittens, which then makes their chances of adoption less, and future relinquishment back to a shelter greater.
Many shelters are trying to combat overcrowding by offering limited-time free or half-cost adoptions. Whether this will have a great enough impact on the problem for many of them remains to be seen, but if nothing else, the concurrent adoption push from such a large number of shelters is certainly raising awareness.

There are a few ways that individuals like you and I can pitch in and save some lives. ​
  • Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) community cats in your neighborhood or workplace. This helps decrease cats being born outdoors and overwhelming shelters. 
  • Volunteering at your local shelter or rescue group to socialize and exercise the animals will improve their quality of life and make them more adoptable
  • If you have space in your home to add a pet to your family, adopting someone may save their life and will definitely free up space at the shelter so another cat or dog isn’t euthanized.
  • If you can’t adopt, or if you prefer, fostering is an amazing gift to shelter animals! The best part about fostering is that once your foster finds a forever home, you can foster another animal, and on and on…saving many lives!
  • Spread the word about the importance of adopting from a shelter or rescue instead of from a breeder. Tell you friends and family!
There are thousands of animals at risk in shelters who need a savior. They are all entitled to full lives.

*Hurley KF and Levy JK (2022) Rethinking the Animal Shelter's Role in Free-Roaming Cat Management. Front. Vet. Sci. 9:847081. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.847081

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8 Comments
testmyspeed.onl link
2/16/2023 08:19:02 am

I brought Basil a toy and slowly she started opening up to me. Eventually they were moved to the kitten room, where a family fell in love with playful, sweet Basil and took her home.

Reply
drift boss link
3/9/2023 12:00:58 am

Basil began trusting me after I brought her a toy. When they were ready, they were transferred to the kitten room, where playful, lovely Basil was adopted by a loving family.

Reply
word hurdle link
6/1/2023 07:58:29 pm

this is an informative post and it is very beneficial and knowledgeable.

Reply
irving-painters.com link
8/17/2023 11:34:09 am

This is amazing that you think this way and provide the awareness for the people who want to adapt a pet. Your services are good and with the help of this blog you are sharing the information for us, so we can find the desired pet when we want.

Reply
Super Mario link
11/10/2023 12:41:30 am

so cute! good luck!

Reply
Property Turkey link
11/22/2023 04:52:20 am

What are the advantages of real estate investment?
Making a real estate investment to settle or rent brings with it a lot of advantages. Evaluating the decision-making phase very nicely while buying real estate is a very important part to get a high income after a long time. To analyze the variables such as the location of the house, the environment, the development potential, the robustness of the building, the population ratio well and accordingly https://turkishclassified.com

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Melbourne link
2/20/2024 10:31:02 am

Rescuing cats is an amazing habit and we can provide these cats to the people who want to retain these as a pet. It is a great idea and it helps the cats that are in danger and cannot find a safe place to live.

Reply
snake game link
7/7/2025 08:20:53 am

I’ve seen this happening firsthand at my local shelter. The staff are overwhelmed, and the number of animals keeps growing. It's devastating to think of healthy pets being euthanized simply because there’s no room or support.

Reply



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  • Home
    • About ACR >
      • Our Team
      • History
      • Board of Directors
      • Email Sign-up
      • Financial Information
    • ACR in the Press
    • ACR Publications
    • Adoptions >
      • Adoption Application
      • Advice for Adopters
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Contact Us
    • Partnerships
  • Action Alerts
    • The Feral Fix
    • Spay Neuter Pledge
    • No Declaw Pledge
  • Spay/Neuter
    • Early Age Spay/Neuter
    • Misconceptions About Spay/Neuter
    • State Low Cost Spay/Neuter
  • Community Cats
    • What is a Feral Cat? >
      • Feral vs. Stray Cats
      • Benefits of Feral Cats
    • Trap-Neuter-Return >
      • TNR Step-by-Step
      • TNR/Community Cat Care Resources
      • Introduce TNR to Your Shelter
      • Solutions to Common Complaints
      • TNR Statistics
    • CAT Action Teams: TNR Groups by State
    • Feral Kittens >
      • What to do if you find kittens
      • Orphaned Kittens
      • Fostering Kittens
    • Providing Shelter
    • Health Care
    • Cat Overpopulation
    • Relocation
    • How to Adopt Out Cats
    • Protecting Cats During Winter
    • Protecting Cats During Summer
    • Feral Cats and the Law
    • Cats and Wildlife >
      • Why Eradication Methods Fail
    • Handbook 2023 Ed
  • Cat Health
    • Health Care for Your Cat >
      • Vet Care Financial Assistance
    • Common Cat Health Issues >
      • FeLV and FIV
      • Feline Panleukopenia
      • FIP
      • Rabies
      • Zoonotic Diseases
      • Indoor/Outdoor Cats
    • Cats & Claws
    • Animal Cruelty Against Cats
    • Poisonous Hazards >
      • Poisonous Plants
    • Cats and COVID-19
    • Pet Food Banks
    • Pet Disaster Preparedness
  • Cat Behavior
    • Solutions to Prevent Surrendering your cat >
      • Rehoming
    • Introducing Cats
    • Tips for Entertaining an Indoor Cat
    • Lost Cat
  • African Wildcats
    • AWC Conservation Projects
    • Press Release on African Wildcat Campaign
    • AWC Photo Contest
  • Donate
  • Store