Economic struggles force more Americans to surrender cherished pets
animal shelters
across the
United States
are grappling with an unprecedented surge in
pet surrenders
, driven largely by worsening economic conditions impacting pet owners' ability to care for their animals. According to multiple shelter reports and expert observations, this increase in 'owner surrenders' is serving as a distressing economic indicator, reflecting broader financial hardship experienced by many American families.
Shelters nationwide report sharp rises in the number of pets—dogs, cats, and others—being relinquished. For example, as per CNN reports, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care Control in North Carolina has seen owner surrenders increase nearly 43% so far this year compared to 2024 numbers, a trend echoed in numerous other regions.
Chicago Animal Care and Control
similarly describes taking in an average of 56 animals per day in 2025, up from 42 daily a year earlier.
Explore courses from Top Institutes in
Please select course:
Select a Course Category
Product Management
Operations Management
MBA
Cybersecurity
Leadership
Data Science
Project Management
Management
CXO
Finance
Design Thinking
others
healthcare
MCA
Data Science
Healthcare
Degree
Data Analytics
PGDM
Public Policy
Artificial Intelligence
Others
Digital Marketing
Technology
Skills you'll gain:
Creating Effective Product Roadmap
User Research & Translating it to Product Design
Key Metrics via Product Analytics
Hand-On Projects Using Cutting Edge Tools
Duration:
12 Weeks
Indian School of Business
ISB Product Management
Starts on
May 14, 2024
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Product Strategy & Competitive Advantage Tactics
Product Development Processes & Market Orientations
Product Analytics & Data-Driven Decision Making
Agile Development, Design Thinking, & Product Leadership
Duration:
40 Weeks
IIM Kozhikode
Professional Certificate in Product Management
Starts on
Jun 26, 2024
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Product Strategy & Roadmapping
User-Centric Product Design
Agile Product Development
Market Analysis & Product Launch
Duration:
24 Weeks
Indian School of Business
Professional Certificate in Product Management
Starts on
Jun 26, 2024
Get Details
Several key factors underpin this crisis:
Financial Strain: Rising costs related to pet ownership—veterinary care, food, supplies, and travel—combined with widespread economic pressures such as inflation, debt, and job insecurity, are forcing many to make difficult choices. Financial hardship accounts for roughly 7.2% of pet surrenders.
Housing Instability
: Approximately 14% of pet surrenders result from housing challenges, including evictions, rent increases, and restrictive pet policies in leases and shelters that prohibit or limit pets.
Lack of Support Networks: A substantial share of surrendered pets (over 60% of dogs) are sourced from friends, neighbors, or online sellers without access to after-purchase support, leading to higher surrender rates when problems arise.
Behavioral and Medical Issues: Behavioral challenges and medical care demands also contribute to surrender decisions, though to a lesser extent (around 7–8%).
Owner Death or Incapacity: Roughly 10% of animals are surrendered after the death or incapacitation of the owner, with no family member able to care for the pet.
This surge is placing enormous strain on shelter facilities, which are often understaffed and underfunded. Overcrowding and longer stays present ongoing challenges, even as euthanasia rates remain lower than historical highs.
No-kill shelters
, which save 90% or more of incoming animals, increasingly struggle to maintain capacity amid rising intake.
Industry experts warn that these trends reflect not only current economic woes but also the lingering impact of the pandemic-era pet adoption boom. Many people adopted pets during lockdowns, only to face unexpected challenges once regular life resumed, prompting some surrenders due to behavioral or socialization difficulties.
Live Events
Efforts to address the crisis involve shelter outreach programs offering pet food assistance, veterinary care resources, temporary foster arrangements, and education to prevent surrenders where possible. Adoption events and spay/neuter initiatives also aim to moderate shelter populations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
30 minutes ago
- Time of India
Fiscal fitness
Mansplaining Donald Duck is my superpower Nobody is focusing on fiscal fitness, I said to Kamala as we walked briskly round our neighbourhood park. She narrowed her eyes as she realised I was talking about money, then confessed she didn't understand money. Most Indians know how to make money and hoard money but are clueless about the Budget or things like American tariffs and what impact these have on our daily lives. Our basic fear is that everyone, including banks, netas, the markets and every person who calls on the phone, is trying to loot our hard-earned money. I puffed my chest out to mansplain money matters: Imagine if you had a friend – a very rich, important, delusional friend – who runs a chain of veggie shops. Imagine if you grew tomatoes in your farm and you wanted him to buy these tomatoes and sell them on… I could see I was losing Clueless Kamala so I tried to make it even simpler: If this close friend, based on his friendship alone, was charging you 25% more to sell your tomatoes in his shop, it would make tomatoes costlier in his shop while creating a glut of tomatoes in your farm. Kamala looked confused but I continued: Imagine if this friend saw you buying Kerosene from Puttaniah and levied a penalty because he didn't like that. Plus, this friend tells everyone that he also stopped the fight we had last weekend and that we would be divorced by now if not for him. She perked up: 'Were we fighting with our neighbor Pakkath Mane Parvathi because her sons keep lobbing balls into our compound and creating destruction every time they jump over the compound wall? But we are still playing cricket with them.' Kamala was finally getting the hang of international affairs. I had made the whole thing as logical as The Kerala Story getting the national award. She sat down on the bench and gave me a withering look: 'This friend of yours sounds like a bully. I don't think he is anyone's friend.' I hummed an old Shammi Kapoor song: Tariff karoon kya uski jisne usse banaya. I told her he was a self-made man so we couldn't blame God or Nehru for this situation. Donald Duck used to be a harmless cartoon without pants when we were growing up. He still is – but the world is not laughing anymore. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Infopark Phase III: GCDA to pool 1,000 acres, to issue notification soon
Kochi: Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) initiated procedures to publish the notification for land pooling for the much-awaited Phase III of Infopark GCDA is planning to pool nearly 1,000 acres to establish the new campus across 300 acres in Kizhakkambalam and Kunnathunadu villages of the district. The project will be the first land-pooling project in Kerala. Govt tasked GCDA with land pooling through an order last year. Following this, GCDA engaged in discussions with Infopark at various stages, conducted site inspections and began efforts to identify suitable land. However, GCDA faced technical hurdles as the identified lands were outside GCDA's jurisdiction. The authority approached govt, which subsequently issued an order last month assigning GCDA a special task for land pooling in the area. The first step for land pooling is issuing an initial notification by determining the suitable land. The area intended for pooling, along with details including survey numbers, will be published with the help of a boundary map. Subsequently, a meeting of landowners in the area will be convened to present the project details. If 75% of total landowners agree to pooling, GCDA will proceed with the project. Following this, a draft project document will be prepared for govt approval. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo After gathering public opinions and necessary changes, the final project document will be prepared before commencing work. After implementing projects on the pooled land, a specified percentage of land will be returned to landowners. If 75% of landowners do not consent, steps will be initiated to identify other suitable land, said GCDA authorities. A press note issued by GCDA on Monday said Phase III campus will feature six key components: carbon neutrality, self-sufficiency in water resources, a complete waste management system, road, rail and airport connectivity, an inclusive IT park and a maintenance system that doesn't disrupt the functioning of IT companies. Besides IT companies, there will be residential facilities, commercial establishments, sports and cultural facilities, recreational areas, hospitals and educational institutions, it said.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Why Trump's threat is unlikely to wean India off Russian crude
AI photo NEW DELHI: Trump's latest threat is unlikely to affect India's decision to source crude from Moscow as long as it's cheaper than the alternatives. "We will go solely by the interest of our consumers and opt for the best option price-wise. If Russian crude works out cheaper than what we can get from other sources, why should we penalise our consumers?" said a senior government source who did not rule out the possibility of India exploring further discounts from Moscow in the light of Trump's threat. Sources said NSA Ajit Doval's visit to Russia, beginning Tuesday, will yield clarity on the geo-economic trilemma. The Centre has so far not made any move to wean off Indian oil refiners from Russian crude, which comes at a steep discount compared to purchases from west Asia or US. It has not just helped keep domestic pump prices lower, but also benefited European countries, which have been major buyers of diesel and jet fuel from India, sources said. Biz circles agree with Centre's criticism of Trump's latest diktat Business circles in New Delhi agreed with the Centre's criticism of Trump's latest diktat. "India's oil trade with Russia has taken place with full transparency and broad understanding with the US. One of the key reasons India stepped up Russian oil purchases was to help stabilise global oil markets after Western sanctions disrupted traditional supply chains. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Female Athletes in the World Click Here Undo By maintaining diversified and affordable energy access, India contributed to preventing a global oil price shock. Trump's decision to raise tariffs on India citing oil trade is not only unjustified - it ignores market realities, misrepresents trade data, and undermines a key strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific," trade research body GTRI said in a note. Interestingly, Trump's sudden bid to arm twist India into abandoning purchase of Russian crude follows declining purchase from Moscow because of sheer logic of markets. In May, India's crude petroleum imports from Russia fell almost 10% to $9.2 billion. Trump's latest comment is expected to create fresh uncertainty among American buyers, who are in talks with Indian exporters for placing orders for the busy Christmas season. The government's firm stand on farm and dairy is seen to have come as a blow for Trump, who had gone public over a dozen times claiming that India had agreed to slash tariffs. Shaken by the govt's steadfast opposition to blocking genetically modified American corn and soybean as well as its public rebuttal of claims over the US mediating a ceasefire during Operation Sindoor have hurt Trump's claim to have brokered several peace deals - one in each month of his second term as president. During the talks, negotiators had indicated the government's willingness to step up purchases of American oil, gas, fertilizer and defence equipment to improve the trade balance which is tilted in India's favour. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . Discover stories of India's leading eco-innovators at Ecopreneur Honours 2025
