Unwanted pandemic pets overflow rescue shelters, facing euthansia

Animal shelters across NSW say a sudden spike in unwanted pets have left them with “catastrophic” numbers of furry friends looking to be rehomed.

These are the faces of helpless victims of the pandemic. Taken into families as babies during lockdowns, only to be given up when they get too big, too much work, because their owners no longer want to be tied down by the responsibility of caring for them or cannot afford them to feed or accommodate them.

Animal rescue shelters are dealing with “catastrophic levels” of pet surrenders as people hand over their pandemic pooches. Others are being picked up as strays, having escaped or been abandoned.

Once surrendered, many face a death sentence unless new owners are found.

Sneha Shakya with dogs Arty and Lucky her adopted dogs at Wolli Creek today. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Shelters such as Sydney Dogs And Cats Home at Strathfield are being inundated by people giving up their pets, many of them chosen during the lockdowns when we were stuck at home.

“It’s heartbreaking. We ask these animals to fit into our lives and that’s not necessarily a natural thing for them to do,” said the shelter’s animal care manager Dr Renae Jackson.

“Now that everybody is going back to work and starting to go back on holidays, people just aren’t watching their animals as closely so they’re escaping and coming in as strays.

“Or people are struggling to maintain jobs or having to move to homes that don’t allow pets.”

Puppy Alice has been waiting over 230 days to be adopted. She is always ready to administer cuddles and licks at a moment’s notice. Picture: Daniella Cortis

The spike in pet surrenders is being blamed on the double whammy of a shift back to office work as well as cost-of-living pressures, leaving people with less time and money to care for their pets.

“Separation anxiety” is another major contributing factor to the decision to hand over a pet, with many pet owners struggling to deal with behavioural issues, Dr Jackson said.

Kerrin Lee, a veteran dog rescuer at Jade’s Dog Rescue based in Western Sydney, said the increase in “inexperienced” pet owners during the pandemic was causing the wave of pet surrenders.

“We get several requests for big dogs especially – big American staffies. We refer them to other rescues. I’ve contacted Pound Rescue, Australian Working Dog Rescue, Wally’s Rescue, Rescue Hub, Furry Friends Forever Rescue and they’re all at capacity as well,” she said.

Atari loves hanging out anywhere there’s water. Picture: Daniella Cortis

“People don’t understand that a puppy is like a newborn baby. You have got to give it lots of attention and puppy training but a lot of people can’t afford a trainer because it’s expensive.”

Underestimating how big a puppy is going to grow is also a problem for many, who struggle to adapt when their little squirming ball of fur grows into a large, powerful dog in need of space, constant exercise and food.

As shelters across NSW hit capacity, the only option left for many abandoned animals is the pounds.

“Lots of people are offloading their pets because of anxiety issues the dogs present with, or because owners made the wrong choices, but the pounds also have more animals than they know what to do with,” said Monika Biernacki, founder of northern beaches shelter Monika’s Doggie Rescue.

Rescue dog held in an animal shelter on May 15, 2022.

“If shelters can’t take pets in, and pounds can’t move them on either, then they get euthanised. That’s the bottom line.”

Even puppies face euthanasia.

But Biernacki said even worse than this is pet abandonments.

Last week a 10-day-old puppy was handed into the RSPCA after being discovered freezing to death by two passers-by in a styrofoam cooler box at a vacant property in Colyton. Despite the efforts of RSPCA’s emergency veterinary treatments, the puppy did not survive.

Chico has been with us since March – he’s all smiles and wriggly bum whenever he gets to meet a new person. Picture: Daniella Cortis

Two-year-old Julius has been at the shelter for almost six months – he’s a sweet-natured yet energetic boy. Picture: Daniella Cortis

Rescue services say the only hope for pets being surrendered to shelters is to be adopted by someone else.

“I always tell my friends, adopt don’t shop,” said Sneha Shakya, 29, who recently adopted Shi Tzu Arty, 9, from Sydney Dog And Cat Home.

“My partner and I saw Arty and we just fell in love.”

Sneha Shakya with dogs Arty and Lucky her adopted dogs at Wolli Creek today. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Shakya, who also has a dog named Lucky, said she had been looking for a second dog for a while but the recent flood of surrenders pushed her to adopt.

“I came across these rescue dogs and it changed the way I felt about it – these dogs deserve a second chance,” she said.

Four month old Shar Pei Luna with foster carer Tracey Mitchell, who was rescued by Precious Paws. Picture Lachie Millard

But while Shakya said she understood the pressures forcing people to surrender their pets, she said there were many things people could do before that.

“Lucky had separation anxiety when we adopted him in 2019 and it definitely came back (after lockdown) so we slowly had to train him back,” Shakya said.

“But training your dog doesn’t have to break the bank. Nowadays you can find so much (information) on the internet and there’s also general obedience training, which you can pay as you go, so it’s not too expensive.”

Anyone thinking of taking on a dog must be realistic, said Kerrin Lee.“People need to take a long look at their lifestyle and ability to commit and the time they have available, because dogs are a pack animal. They want company, they want love. It’s a long commitment.”