(NewsNation Now) — Animal shelters across the country are seeing a surge in pet surrenders following a spike in adoptions over the pandemic.
Many Americans who adopted pets in 2020 now find themselves called back to the office, finding less time to take care of their animals. As a result, shelters are seeing a spike in pet surrenders.
“With people going back to work and just being in office a lot of the adoptions did go down,” Kristina Wos, animal care coordinator at Chicago dog rescue Fetching Tails Foundation, said during an appearance on “Morning in America”.
People are returning to their busy lives and animal shelters are getting hit hard.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), close to one in five households brought a cat or dog into their home during the COVID 19 crisis.
Smaller dog rescues like Fetching Tails Foundation are stepping in to help larger shelters that find themselves overcrowded and no longer accepting pet returns.
“We’re able to take dogs and get these dogs adopted out faster,” Wos said. “And we tend to have more room here.”
Wos says it’s a heartbreaking reality as many of these pandemic pups that were up for adoption only a year ago are now are back at the shelter in need of a new home.
“A lot of these dogs I do feel really bad for when they are surrendered back to us,” Wos said. “It is like a little bit of a tear-jerker, but I do hold it in.”
“Be patient,” Wos says asking owners to think twice before giving up their pet. “Being patient with them is the number one thing to take away from adopting.”
Fostering a dog before you officially adopt is recommended to determine if your lifestyle is fit for having a furry friend in the house.