At any given time, there are an estimated 100,000 dogs – and countless cats – without homes in the UK. Left to fend for themselves on the streets, cats and dogs often suffer and die after getting hit by cars, being attacked by other animals, succumbing to extreme temperatures, starving, contracting contagious diseases and facing other dangers. Many stray animals are poisoned, shot, mutilated, tortured, set on fire or killed in other cruel ways.
Animals are often abandoned by the people they depend on to care for them. For example, two dogs were found huddled together near a river in Tottenham Marshes after apparently being dumped there. Both dogs were extremely thin, and one of the animals, who was elderly, could barely walk. Another dog was found tethered to a fence in Park View, Bramley on a New Year's Day and had apparently been left there overnight in freezing temperatures while fireworks exploded nearby. The dog was so terrified that he was shaking and had wet himself. Resource: Peta
Sometimes people surrender animals because they think it’s the only possible solution. Perhaps someone with a severe cat allergy joins the household, and the family doesn’t realize that these allergies can often be treated or managed. Sometimes people are separated from their animal companions because they become too sick to care for them. Many people don’t know about the importance of advance planning for their animal family, and so their animal companions end up in the shelter. Saddest of all is when people die without having made arrangements for their companions. Often these animals are elderly and don’t adapt well to the shelter environment. Some of them never make it out of the shelter—they are scared or unfriendly, and potential adopters pass them by.
Moving is a frequently given reason for surrender. The paperwork for each animal tells the story:
* Moving out of state and cannot take a cat.
* New landlord does not allow dogs.
* Found cat in the apartment next door after a neighbor moved out.
* No space in the new home for a dog.
But all too often the move is just an excuse. One study showed that more than half of the people surrendering animals because of moving also report behavior problems. In other words, the move often isn't the real issue.
Behavioral problems are the most common reason why people give up their dogs, and they are the second most common reason for cats. Behavioral problems can be very serious, like biting or aggression in dogs. But more often they are a common dog and cat issues like inappropriate elimination, destructiveness, barking or meowing, or not getting along with other animals in the home. Sometimes the problem is one of the inappropriate expectations: “Cat isn’t friendly enough,” or “Dog needs too much attention.” Most behavioral issues can be corrected, but people may lack the knowledge or commitment needed to do the work.
People surrendering an animal with behavior issues don’t want to hurt their animal’s chances of adoption from the shelter, so they may mislead shelter staff and explain the surrender as due to allergies or a move. This makes it even harder for the shelter to find that animal a suitable home. Or the animal might be adopted, only to be returned by the new guardian as soon as the problem behavior starts. Resource: Peta
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