WILMINGTON, N. C. (WECT) – Animal shelters plus rescue groups have been very vocal on social media recently about the need for adoptions. Many are finding families can no longer afford their pets, leaving shelters bursting at the seams.

In a recent post from Jewel Horton, Director at the Pender County Pet shelter, mentioned having 152 animals but only 100 cages. “Right now, the economic impact that COVID has had on homes and housing and the financial crisis that’s what we’re seeing right now is people having to lose their animals because they cannot pay for them due to the particular secondary effects due to COVID as well as the economy, ” said Horton.

There have been similar posts from Bladen and New Hanover counties. “Right now we are in very high capacity with animals. We’re seeing a lot of them get dumped not only in the shelter yet we’re viewing them getting dumped out in the field, where they’re going down a dirt road and just dumping them, ” stated Jodi Kerwin of the particular New Hanover County Animal Shelter.

Rosey’s Rescue Founder Rosey Milazzo has seen this before. She and her volunteers rescued 14 puppies that were dumped from the river. One of them, Winston now spends his days at Paws Resale Shoppe with his new mom. That shop helps raise money with regard to Rosey’s rescue efforts. It’s one of several save groups who get calls from local shelters when they need help.

“I got an email through New Hanover Animal Shelter. They’re looking for assist for us to rescues in order to pull dogs, I obtained a message from the Pender Shelter, these people called me they said can you please help we have several litters, ” said Milazzo of Rosey’s Rescue and PAWS Resale Shoppe.

But rescue groups are also struggling, and Milazzo is concerned.

“We’re not really doing the adoptions that we were doing before COVID or when COVID first started and not that COVID is over and the economy is so bad everybody is returning their COVID pups. I’ve already been involved in recovery for over 14 years, I’ve fostered regarding other rescues locally before I opened my own rescue and I have been going everywhere through Robeson to Sampson County and everything in between plus I have never seen it like this particular before. ”

Before you give up your pet, there are usually other options.

“If you need help just for the temporary, we can help you. My store PAWS Resale Shoppe, reach out to us we can help you with food, all of us can help you with vaccines, if we get our donations built back up again, we all can assist medical bills, ” mentioned Milazzo.

“Call your nearby shelter and have that conversation. There’s a lot more resources out there that I don’t think people realize. There are pet food banks to assist with food assistance. If you require spay or neuter assistance you stop these unwanted litters, slow down the influx associated with animals coming in. Don’t just assume the particular worst, ” said Horton.

Dumping an animal should never be an option.

“That to me is unacceptable. It’s not fair to the pet, they do not know what’s going on. That to me is one of the harder things, is just in order to see that people will obtain a dog, have this for a couple years plus then simply dispose of it, ” said Kerwin.

There are points you may do to help local animal shelters and rescue groups and prevent animals from being euthanized. You can foster or donate items or even money.

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