by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society, Inc.
Did you know for the first time in its history, the Animal Care Centers of NYC are taking care of 1,000 shelter animals at one time and won’t be able to take in any more pets as of last week? They have reached total capacity and have had to suspend general intake. The same is true all over these days. There has definitely been a surge in surrenders with basically two main reasons: 1. the elderly owner has died or is no longer able to care for the animal(s) and there is no other family member willing or able to take the pet(s) and of course, no forethought given to provisions for the pets’ future should this scenario occur; and 2. the simple “unable to care for” is usually because the pet has developed problems which were not handled in the home or no consideration was given to the age or breed of the dog at the time of adoption or purchase. Whatever the reason, whether valid or not, the result is the same. Another homeless animal. 
In just this past month here is a list of our newcomers and why:
~ Rose, a 1 ½ year old female German Shepherd, due to medical reason and the fact that she is not leash trained making it too difficult to walk her. ~ Brian, a 5 year old male German Shepherd remains an unclaimed stray which is the same as abandoned ~ Kiki, 5 year old medium hair declawed female tabby, adopted as a kitten by an older senior who died 5 years later ~Goliath, 7 month old American Bulldog mix whose owner suddenly decided he worked too much (note: guess he didn’t work too much when Goliath was a cute, little puppy) ~Kevin is a 9 month old male pitbull mix who was surrendered when the landlord found out ~Marlow, a 1 ½ year old male Maltipoo with deformed front legs, given up for biting the young children who were allowed to pull on his legs! ~ Spanky, a 10-11 year old male Chihuahua & Lolita, a 10-11 year old matted female Shih Tzu due to hospitalization and relocation of elderly owner.
Another example is a dog that was adopted by a retired couple as a puppy a year ago from a rescue but now feel that they cannot keep up with her energy level. How did they not realize that this puppy will soon grow into a bigger dog and need more than cuddles?! Or the very elderly owner giving up a 30 year old Cockatoo whose lifespan is another 30 to 50 years!
The above surrenders do not include the ongoing intakes of injured and sick cats and kittens nor the number of loose domestic rabbits that are being abandoned around Town. Animals in shelters are mostly discarded pets. They are not damaged but rather the result of human selfishness and lack of commitment. None of us want to grow old and die. But if we are lucky, it happens. Animals live in the moment and their future moments should be at the forefront of our decisions to bring them home and to care for them for their lifetime.
Pet of the Week:
Adoption applications are available at wvhumane.org or call 845-986-2473 for more information.
