A few Pet Columns ago, a shelter cat named Wendy wrote about Pandemic Pet Surrenders. Although we haven’t seen surrenders directly attributed to the pandemic, we do see a lack of pet-friendly housing and economic factors taking their toll.

In any surrender, it’s assumed that pets are being given up on. Maybe you think they’re pets who are too high energy, too much work, or that could no longer be cared for. However, when you see my friends come into Second Chance, it is a different story.

There are times when there is no other option other than to surrender.

Do you see the three cats scared in the corner because they don’t know where they are? They had to come to us because their family lost their housing.

frightened cat

How about the husky who is pacing back and forth in the yard? She was surrendered because she couldn’t be left alone while her family worked. They couldn’t give up their jobs, so they made the decision to help her find a new person who could be with her all day.

See the dog next to me barking at the wall? She just lost her best human friend to old age.

dog in corner

Those cats in the window over there are from a good samaritan. She tried to help people by taking in pets that were on the verge of being homeless. Unfortunately, her big heart didn’t match her capacity to care for the many pets she had accumulated, so she did the responsible thing and asked for help from Second Chance.

cat

In almost every single case, our humans knew we deserved more than what we had. Sometimes, we have to accept that we cannot prevent the unpreventable. Whether it be housing issues, economic challenges, natural life occurrences, or simply seeing that a pet deserves a better life.

When humans surrender a pet to the shelter, let’s be honest, they are judged. Judged for dropping off their beloved pet. I believe that the whispering and judging needs to come to an end.

My friends here at Second Chance see the tears of heartbreak, looks of complete sadness, and feelings of helplessness about situations that can’t be changed. I’ve never seen a human surrender a pet without feeling badly. Most of the time, the human has looked at every option, and surrendering is the last resort.

Instead of trying to rehome a pet on Craigslist or Facebook (when you can’t be sure of where they’ll end up), I recommend bringing your pet to a Second Chance or another licensed animal rescue organization. Surrendering to a reputable shelter is responsible, compassionate, and the best solution. They’re super nice to us here! We are safe, fed, vaccinated, spayed/neutered, exercised, and loved while we wait for our new beginnings.

 

cricket

My name is Cricket. I’m a young torti girl who absolutely loves to be loved. Rub my belly, and I’m your friend forever. I am not crazy about other cats, so it might be best if I have your complete attention to myself.