HOUSTON, Texas – It’s a disturbing trend local animal experts say has been heading in the wrong direction for years, even before the pandemic began, but now, pet abandonment in our area seems to have reached an all-new peak.
According to the Houston Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or SPCA, there were 570 reported cases of pet abandonment in 2018. That number rose to 655 in 2019.
Last year the numbers were even higher with 1,520 cases and this year a whopping 4,733 cases so far.
SEE ALSO: More than 4,000 animals in the Houston-area have been left abandoned this year, SPCA says
Public information officer for BARC Animal Shelter, Cory Stottlemeyer, says some pets are being left behind in homes, backyards and even hotels.
“We’ve been at capacity for several weeks,” he said. “We’ve had our kennels full for a while now. Sometimes it’s heartbreaking, sometimes the person really wants to keep their pets but financially, it’s too much of a burden right now.”
With pet abandonment cases up 300% from last year, Stottlemeyer says the need to reverse the trend is urgent.
“We’re not going to be judgmental if somebody wants to schedule an owner turn-in and actually come by and bring one in. We’d much rather you do this than release an animal onto the street,” he said.
Regardless of whether you own a pet or not, one way to make an immediate impact is to report animal cruelty and pet abandonment to authorities.
BARC Animal Shelter provides free pet food and services for pets if owners are low on funds.
If you’d like to give your pet up for adoption, there are ways to do that at no cost to you. There are also several options for adopting pets.
Visit HoustonBARC.com or call 311 for more information.
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November 13, 2021 at 06:26AM
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Pet abandonment cases reach disturbing new peak in Houston Metro Area, SPCA reports - KPRC Click2Houston
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