The number of unwanted dogs in Victoria is reaching a crisis point as a record number of owners continue to abandon their pets, while fewer people are wanting to adopt them.
The surge in the number of dogs being surrendered to RSPCA Victoria began just before Christmas and has not slowed down for the past seven months.
Shelters were receiving about 50 unwanted dogs a month towards the end of last year, but have been inundated with around 150 abandoned pets every month of 2022.
Nine abandoned dogs were handed to RSPCA Victoria on Tuesday alone.
RSPCA Victoria animal care manager Nadia Peiris said all kinds of dogs were being surrendered - even small dogs and puppies.
"Puppies coming in is just mind blowing," she said
"During COVID, we probably saw one puppy coming in during the whole two years.
"That really shows you the dilemma that we're in."
She said small dogs being surrendered "almost never happened" before this year.
The organisation is also seeing its reclaim rates drop, with owners choosing not to collect their dogs that have been found unattended and turned in.
"When we call the owner to let them know that the dog is in the shelter we're hearing people say, 'Oh, we'd just like to surrender the dog,'" Peiris said.
Around 50 dogs a month are being left unclaimed by their owners.
Have you got a story? Contact Serena at serena.seyfort@nine.com.au
Peiris said the heartbreaking scenario was the most difficult time for the organisation she could recall when it came to dogs.
"It's definitely concerning," she said.
The dogs coming in are also posing a great challenge to the shelters, with most having behavioural issues, requiring them to be trained and rehabilitated before being rehomed.
"There's quite a lot of work that needs to happen back of house to get them ready for adoption," Peiris said.
Peiris previously told nine.com.au many of the issues stemmed from owners' actions during COVID-19 lockdowns, with many people getting puppies and not socialising them enough amid stay-at-home restrictions.
Other owners have also found their circumstances have changed and are home much less since lockdowns ended.
Adoption rates lower than usual
Peiris said the situation in Victoria was "the perfect storm" as more people surrendered their dogs, with less people wanting to adopt.
"Adoptions have dropped right down," she said.
"We saw super-high adoption numbers during COVID, and that's dropped right down."
She said adoption rates had fallen to below pre-COVID levels.
"Because, obviously, people are out of lockdown. They're travelling more. They're not wanting to be at home," she said.
"So what we're trying to do is just bring adoption front of mind to people again."
RSPCA Victoria is planning to run a large adoption campaign in August to get Victorians to consider adopting a pet.
"We're really, really hoping this program will help a lot of dogs and cats," she said.
"If anyone is considering adopting, please, you know, give our customer service team a call, book a time to come and view our animals.
"We've got lots ready to go home."
Visit rspcavic.org to find out more about adoption.
from 9News https://ift.tt/uBqyv1w
via IFTTT
Comments
Post a Comment