TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — There’s a concerning trend that has animal shelters sounding the alarm as pet owners make difficult decisions to make ends meet.
Many families are downsizing to keep up with the steep cost of housing, but some are now in situations that leave little to no room for a pet and many animal shelters say it’s a big reason why they’re seeing a soaring number of surrenders across the Tampa Bay area.
“We haven’t seen anything like this as long as I can remember, for lots of different reasons, because it’s close to a crisis at this point because we don’t have room,” said Sherry Silk, CEO of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.
More than 350 animals are housed at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, but the strain on shelters is an issue that the shelter is familiar with.
However, Silk is noticing the soaring cost of housing is forcing families to make painful decisions about keeping their pet.
“It’s because they can’t afford to keep them or they can’t afford their rent and they’re moving out of the area, or they’re moving in with their roommate and they can’t bring their dog or cat,” Silk said.
In Pinellas County, Fluff Animal Rescue in Seminole is voicing the same concern.
“Just in the past month we had to stop owner surrenders,” said Kimmy Chandler, CEO and founder of Fluff Animal Rescue. “A lot of people are messaging us or calling us in desperation that they’re being evicted and didn’t realize they would have to live in their car with their pet. It’s not something I thought we would see here.”
For many pet owners, a stretched budget leaves little to no room for resources.
“There is a tremendous need, but pet food is one of the number one things folks ask from us,” said Shannon Hannon Oliviero of Feeding Tampa Bay.
Feeding Tampa Bay is offering assistance to those in need and supporting many animal agencies during a critical time.
“We want to make sure everybody has a good meal,” Hannon Oliviero said. “We don’t want seniors making difficult choices between food, medicine, and feeding their pet.”
