Animal Allies Reaches Full Capacity – Why So Many People Are Giving Up Pets

We talked to Nicole like we do every Wednesday at Animal Allies, and you could tell that they've been a little overwhelmed at the shelter. The St. Louis County Sheriff's office had just dropped off two more dogs, and that put the shelter at full capacity with all of their kennels occupied.

Animal Allies are trying to find homes for their dogs and cats. As of Wednesday, they had 18 dogs for adoption on their website. They also had 23 cats up for adoption.

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You can visit Animal Allies during their adoption center house Tuesday-Saturday from 12:00-6 pm, and Sundays from Noon-4. They are closed on Monday.

Many of the pets are long-term residents, with some being here for months like Koda and Apollo who have been at the shelter since January. The bonded pair was at a previous shelter and had been in a rough situation since they were born. Apollo relies on Koda for confidence and the dogs need each other.

Today we talked about Bennet, who has been at Animal Allies for a few weeks now. He's a relaxed, chill, older dog. He arrived at the shelter as a stray. He's described as a sweet dog who knows how to sit, and would probably do better in a quieter home.

Why are so many pets being surrendered?

I asked Nicole at Animal Allies why so many pets are being surrendered. Did it have to do with the pandemic? During COVID many people who were stuck at home adopted pets, only now to find that it doesn't fit their lifestyle. Another big factor is the cost of living, rising expenses, and inability to care for their pet.

Other factors are causing the pet population to increase.

It's very important to control the pet population and spay and neuter pets. Post-covid has seen an increased number of animals that haven't been spayed or neutered and that leads to more problems and more animals that need rescuing.