As people continue to face economic hardships, there’s an increasing trend of owners relinquishing their pets.
Deanna Jarvis, President of Noah’s Hope Animal Rescue, told Siouxland Public Media on Monday there has been an increase of people giving up their pets due to financial struggles.
Jarvis said there are multiple reasons for owners surrendering pets, including increased costs for veterinary services, food, and training.
She added there is a rise in animal abandonment, waitlists created for owners to surrender their pets, and assistance transporting animals to shelters.
Jarvis mentioned the organization is seeing a trend where owners who cannot afford to neuter or spay their animals are handing them over along with their puppies or kittens due to being unable to provide care.
She added that when stimulus checks ended and the job market started declining, the organization received increasing calls for food assistance or people wanting to give up their pets.
Jarvis mentioned before, Noah’s Hope would help provide community members with pet food which equated to 100 pounds per week, and now it’s providing 200.
She added that the increasing number of animals at shelters has led individuals who foster animals to take on second jobs and are fostering consecutively.
Noah’s Hope is a nonprofit dedicated to rescuing homeless, neglected, and abandoned animals from euthanasia and finding them forever homes.
