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America’s animal shelters are overcrowded with animals from families facing economic and housing challenges.

MENANDS, N.Y. (AP) — Kaine is a big, energetic dog looking for a home. But lately he’s been spending a lot of time at the office.

Animal shelters in the United States are overflowing with the rising cost of living. The gray and white 7-year-old remained in an employee’s office at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society while awaiting adoption.

The shelter near Albany, New York, is “more than full,” CEO Ashley Jeffrey Bouck said. That means Kaine — with his crate, dog bed and chew toys — must share space with a staff member, a desk and filing cabinets.

“He’s one of our ‘office favorites,’ as we call him,” Bouck said during his recent visit to Kaine’s office. “They are there all day and all night. They don’t go to a kennel because we don’t have a kennel that they can go into.

AP correspondent Donna Warder reports how the economy is affecting some of man’s best friends.

The number of animals entering shelters began to increase in 2021, after a pandemic-related decline. Adoptions have not kept pace with the influx of pets — especially larger dogs like Kaine — creating a snowballing population problem for many shelters. Shelter Animals Count, a national database of shelter statistics, estimates that the U.S. shelter population increased by nearly a quarter of a million animals in 2023.

Shelter operators say they are in crisis mode as they try to reduce the crowds at the kennels.

The problem is sometimes blamed on owners abandoning “pandemic puppies” purchased during COVID-19 lockdowns. But advocates and operators say the evidence points to economic factors such as higher costs for pet care and housing insecurity.

“The current economy is really tough for a lot of families,” said Kim Alboum of the Bissell Pet Foundation, a national animal welfare organization. “And with the housing crisis, people are losing their homes and having to move or move in with others. And that’s a recipe for disaster for people who have larger dogs.

Overcrowded shelters with limited space are more of a dog problem than a cat problem, advocates say. Mohawk Hudson, for example, has a lot of pit bulls, mastiffs and cane corsos.

Some people no longer have the means to care for their pets, particularly with regard to increasing cost of veterinary services. Advocates say the shortage of veterinarians has exacerbated the problem by reducing access to care.

North of New York, Ulster County SPCA Executive Director Gina Carbonari said she noticed more people coming to their pet pantries asking for dog food these last months.

The tumultuous real estate market has compounded the problem. Bouck said that when evictions increase, the number of stray animals too. When renters move into new, more affordable housing, they often encounter pet restrictions, with larger dogs and pit bulls more likely to be banned.

“So you have to make a choice now,” Carbonari said: “’Well, do I have a place to live? Or will I end up homeless with my dog?”’

In Ohio, the number of animals surrendered to the Cleveland Animal Protective League because of housing or financial difficulties jumped 56 percent this year to 388. That includes people who can’t afford care, who have a conflict with their landlord, who are moving or I don’t have a house. The number of stray cats and kittens brought in by good Samaritans has also increased significantly.

Supporters say they are seeing shelters that haven’t had to euthanize animals recently, again relying on the practice to help control overpopulation. Some cities have required owners to sterilize their pets, but these policies are often not enforced.

Across the country, shelters and advocates are working to reduce admissions and encourage more adoptions.

This includes expanding foster programs that send animals to temporary homes rather than shelters. Other programs ease the financial burden of owning a dog or cat, through pet pantries and veterinary services like spay/neuter clinics.

New York Animal Care Centers, which operates New York City’s public shelters, limited the admission of cats to the most urgent cases for several weeks this summer and also limited the admission of dogs for six weeks from October 7. Many New York City shelters also kept dogs. in offices, as well as in corridors, to avoid having to euthanize them.

Last year, Mohawk Hudson reduced the number of its contracts with municipalities to take in stray animals and decided to no longer accept animals surrendered by their owners.

Increasing adoptions is particularly crucial, argued Julie Castle, CEO of the Best Friends Animal Society, saying millions of people buy new pets every year, even as hundreds of thousands of animals die in shelters.

“We know people are going to acquire pets, so let’s get back to the basics of marketing adoptions, because ultimately we’re in a competitive space with breeders and pet stores,” Castle said.

The national animal welfare organization, which operates a sanctuary in Utah, partners with businesses, shelters and rescue groups to host adoption events across the country, during which fees adoption are removed or reduced.

Although some shelters have responded to the crush by increasing their capacity, advocates say a long-term solution must address the reasons why shelters resort to housing animals in their offices.

“People will say, ‘Oh, can’t you just build more kennels?’ “, Bouck said. “And we could fill them in two seconds.”

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