This can be seen particularly during the holiday season with some pets having been bought as Christmas presents being abandoned when the winter holidays are over. Furthermore, the COVID-19 Pandemic has led to a significant increase in the number of people buying pets due to lockdowns and working from home. However, as people start to return to work and they realize, that they do not have enough time for their pets or are just not as interested in their pets anymore, they are reselling their pets, surrendering them to shelters, and sadly abandoning them on the streets.

The difference between surrendering and abandonment

Surrendering

The surrender of dogs, cats, and small mammals to a reputable animal shelter means that the animals will be taken care of, they do not have to fend for themselves, but they will be fed and have a warm place to sleep. The animals also have a much better chance of finding a new home through being adopted. However, many shelters are overcrowded or lack funds to take care of the animals well and may resort to euthanasia to control the number of animals coming into their care. This is not helped by the fact that some owners choose to dump their pets outside animal shelters or rescue organizations, in the hope that they will take care of them.

Abandonment

Pet abandonment is different, it essentially means that pets are left to fend for themselves. They are either dumped on the streets or left in remote areas, where no one can see the pets being abandoned. Dogs and cats including puppies and kittens have been found in garbage bins, on motorways, or tied to park benches.
Generally, people that abandon their pets, know they are doing something wrong. They try to hide the fact that they are abandoning their pets. They do not want to be seen. It is rare that pet abandonment is directly witnessed. The pet owners tend to act when no one is around.

Punishable offense

In many countries, pet abandonment is an illegal and punishable offense. These legislations are mainly covered under the animal welfare acts of those countries.

Abandonment can be avoided

No matter for what reason a pet is abandoned, the animal is always the one that suffers most in this situation. Many of the reasons given for abandoning pets can be avoided. We explain further in our other articles on pet abandonment and what actions can be taken to prevent this from happening in the future.

The Harmful Consequences Caused by Pet Abandonment

Leaving dogs and cats behind harms the animals, their owners, and shelters

The abandoning of pets has far-reaching consequences for the animals involved as well as for the community. Abandonment exposes dogs and cats to an uncertain fate, once on the streets they must fend for themselves and may suffer from hunger, thirst, injuries, and diseases. As well as feeling distressed and confused because they have been left on their own in an unfamiliar place by their owner.

Furthermore, dumping animals has consequences for the community that many people are often unaware of: The animals may pose a road safety risk if they run out in front of cars searching for their owner. They may cause a ‘nuisance’ to the community by searching for food, barking at other dogs, or even biting someone due to feeling unsafe.

Abandoned dogs and cats face an uncertain and stressful future

The fate of abandoned pets is almost always tragic. While some pets are picked up by animal shelters, and the authorities or taken in by people who find them, many are not so lucky, and they must live on the streets in constant fear forced to take care of themselves. For puppies and kittens that are not weaned at the point when they are abandoned, this is almost always a death sentence. Stray animals are likely to be thirsty, hungry, and exposed to extreme weather conditions. Without veterinary care, shelter, and food they will sooner or later become sick and die.
Animals that are not neutered when dumped, will also contribute to an already existing stray animal overpopulation; their offspring will be born into a life on the streets, fighting for their survival.

Animal shelters and rescues are severely affected

Surrendered and abandoned animals can become a financial burden for governmental and non-governmental organizations that take care of them. Animal shelters and animal rescue organizations are often struggling to stay financially afloat. This burden has been increased due to people dumping their animals during the COVID-19 pandemic They usually do not receive any government funds and are dependent on donations to provide the necessary care for unwanted animals.

Apart from the financial side, at some point many shelters reach their full capacity of animals they can take in and may resort to using euthanasia.

Pet owners experience emotional consequences

Dumping a pet can for some owners be very upsetting and have a long-term impact. It can push the owner and their family into an emotional crisis. Especially children suffer when their pet is suddenly taken away from them. Many people who have surrendered their animals to animal shelters feel guilty and ashamed as if they had failed and betrayed their pet, who depended on and trusted them.

The Top 9 Reasons Why People Give Up Their Pets

Our pets give us so much – love, companionship, and emotional support – how is it possible they can be abandoned? There are several reasons why people abandon their dogs, cats, or other pets. Some are the result of people not having considered fully the responsibilities of pet ownership when buying their pet and whether they have sufficient time, resources, and motivation to take care of a pet.
Below are some of the more common reasons why people decide to give away their pets.

Time factor

A common reason for owners relinquishing their pets to a shelter is that they do not feel they have enough time to take care of their pets. Taking care of a pet takes time, pets need to be fed, walked, let out in the garden, have their litter tray changed, taken to the vet, trained, and socialized.
It is unfair to leave a pet alone for long periods, especially social animals such as dogs that need human company. This will impact the owner’s lifestyle and needs to be carefully considered before acquiring a pet.

Many pets are bought on impulse, especially online. The new owner is unlikely to have had time to consider all the obligations of owning a pet or to carry out the necessary research into their pet’s needs. This can result in the animal being resold, surrendered to a shelter, or worse still abandoned.

Lack of experience

Some pet owners lack the knowledge on how to take care of their pets and can therefore become overwhelmed with the responsibility. Therefore, it is important to carry out lots of research before acquiring a pet to make sure you understand and can meet their needs.

Changed life situation

Pet owners may lose their jobs, get divorced, move into a rental property that does not allow pets, have a baby, or develop health problems (allergies is one of the most common reasons people have for giving up their pets). Again, pet owners need to think about the future and how they would take care of a pet in certain situations before they get an animal. Additionally, many people added a pet to their life during the Covid-19 lockdown, they are faced with having to go back to the office and the pet not fitting in with this changed situation.

Animal health and age

Animals can become sick, acutely, or chronically, they may also need more care in their old age, due to age-related medical problems. This requires more of the owner’s time and may result in veterinary costs. Anyone taking on a pet should see it as a long-term commitment, they need to take care of their pet for its entire life regardless of medical and age-related health issues.

Boredom/Disinterest

Sad but true, some people, especially children, lose interest in their pets and consider them a burden. Pets should never be bought to teach children responsibility; this often does not work, and the parents end up having to take care of the pet or the pet is rehomed, surrendered, or abandoned.

Unwanted litters

Unneutered pets may go on to have unwanted litters, often puppies and kittens are handed into animal shelters, or worse still abandoned or killed. Therefore, it is important to neuter pets to prevent unwanted litters from being born.

Behavioral issues

Some pet owners find that their pet shows unwanted behavior, for example, dogs being aggressive to other dogs. To help ensure that animals do not develop behavioural issues they should be properly trained and socialised when they are young.

Financial factor

Pets are often abandoned because their owner can no longer afford to take care of them. Many pet owners are not aware of how much it costs to take care of a pet over their entire life. It is therefore important that pet owners do their research and make sure they have sufficient resources to take care of their pets in the long term. Some of the costs can still be covered, e.g., for food, but if a pet gets sick, the veterinary costs can be a strain on the budget.

Profitability

People use companion animals to make money (racing, breeding) or even for sports (hunting, fighting). When animals become too slow, old, or sick they are no longer fit for their “purpose” and become unwanted. The lucky ones are handed into reputable animal shelters or rehomed, however for many they are either abandoned or brutally killed.

Pet abandonment’s ripple effect on animal shelters and beyond
Thousands of pets are abandoned each year, three times more during the moving period. Living an abandonment marks life forever, but let’s talk about the consequences attached to it, let’s talk about the other side of the coin.

Abandonment in the wild

Some people decide to let their dog, cat, lizard, rabbit, turtle, or bird, go free outside and in the wild. A pet that has been kept and raised in captivity cannot survive alone, without humans, outside. Whether it is a lack of food, shelter, temperature adaptation, or the attack of a predator; the majority will not survive for long and will live a dreadful end of life.

From another point of view, freeing a species that does not belong to our Quebec fauna can also be problematic. For example, the adorable little red-eared turtles. Very popular a few years ago, owners abandon them when they become too large or get tired of them over time since they can live more than 50 years in captivity. Their intentional release into watercourses has caused a lot of imbalance in the habitats they colonize and they are now fearsome invaders.

Diseases

The stress caused by abandonment creates a drastic drop in the immune system and, in turn, disease development. Stray animals therefore increase its spread. They could contaminate their congeners and could also contaminate humans. Zoonoses are diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans such as rabies, leptospirosis, some parasites, etc. For example, stray cats using children’s sandboxes as litter can contaminate them with extremely dangerous parasites. But don’t get confused here between stray animals and your neighbor’s pet! The latter are vaccinated and protected against parasites, they can therefore walk freely without problem.

Animal overpopulation

Unsterilized animals reproduce at a crazy speed! A direct consequence of the abandonment of pets is animal overcrowding in Quebec. Did you know that a cat can have 5 litters per year, each including 5 to 6 kittens? So a couple of stray cats can quickly populate the neighborhood and become harmful.

Abandonment in accommodation

The distress of pets left behind following a move is evident. These pets are found in poor condition and the care required to put them back on their paws is enormous. Also, we must not forget the damage that this causes in the homes directly. In search of food to survive, they try to climb, open the cupboards, and scratch. They defecate and urinate everywhere and the material damage leads to enormous costs. This kind of scenario does not help landlords grant tenants the right to have animals. Respect is required to increase tolerance and trust to foster cohabitation with our faithful companions.

Full capacity shelters

Shelters are there to help you. They take charge of pets and give them care when you cannot keep them. They are also the place to go for you to adopt a new member of the family by giving a second chance to those who have been left there. However, overcrowding often forces them to carry out much more euthanasia than those which are necessary, for lack of space.

Finally, please note that getting rid of a pet is as big a responsibility as adopting one. According to federal law, getting rid of an animal by simply leaving it behind is considered animal cruelty. There is always an option to ensure their well-being: look for a new family within your entourage, advertise it on the internet, contact shelters and SPCAs in your area, or your veterinarian. We wish you never to have to face this situation, have a great moving day!