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Community Corner

Many Animals Homeless as Shelters Struggle in Bad Economy

The down economy is taking its toll on area rescue groups and shelters, as the need for animal adoptions rises.

Despite its status as one of the wealthiest regions in the country, Fairfield County is not immune to homelessness – and that includes pets.

Due to difficult economic conditions, animal homelessness has emerged as an epidemic in the region, with many dogs and cats in need of a loving owner. Patch visited several area shelters where met with dozens of pets in need of a home – and some serious TLC.

When Patch last visited the this past December to take pictures for its , Animal Control Officer Sheryl Taylor said that new dogs are constantly brought in. Though many get adopted as interest in four-legged friends is always there, space for incoming abandoned pets and rescues is still very limited. In addition, the shelter relies heavily on donations from residents - from money to food, toys, blankets and other supplies - but in a tough economy, people have less means to give.

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Another issue is that the shelter does not take in cats. "We get a lot of calls about people needing a place to give their cat if they don't want it or can't have it anymore, or if they see a stray," Taylor said.

Volunteers in Shelton are in talks to start up a second shelter, one that would accept dogs and possibly cats as well, but because monetary resources are strained due to the economy, it could be a while before the safe haven for animals finds a location and opens its doors.

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Vinnie Pennatto, an animal control officer with the Fairfield unit of the , told Patch the 26-cage shelter receives calls on a daily basis from pet owners that need to surrender their pets.

“We are getting more calls of people needing to give away their animals or not being able to afford to take care of them,” Pennatto said. “We get calls daily from people that can no longer care for their animals properly because it’s too expensive.”

However, the Fairfield shelter only accepts strays and does not take surrendered pets and instead directs callers to shelters that do.

“The problem is if we were to take surrendered animals we wouldn’t have enough room or enough staff. We refer them to private shelters like PAWS or the Humane Society. But they are getting overrun with surrendered animals too,” he added.

Currently, the town of Fairfield is caring for 13 dogs that have not been claimed, including an adorable terrier mix dog, a beagle and several pit bull mixed breeds – pups with faces that read “I need a loving home” all over them.

“When we pick them up we usually wait a day, and then we’ll put a lost and found ad in the paper after eight days. We are a big shelter, so as long as we have the space we will take care of them,” Pennatto said.

When animals aren’t placed in loving homes, it’s common for the animal control staff to get attached to the homeless pets.

In fact, Pennatto adopted an American bulldog who was still not claimed after a year at the shelter on One Rod Highway.

“A lot of people are looking for puppies and smaller breed dogs,” he explained. “We do get a lot of pit bulls, and that scares a lot of people off.

The harsh reality, as Pennatto attests: “The longer they stay, the harder it is to adopt out sometimes.”

Because they deal with animals without a vaccination history, volunteers are not allowed to work at many shelters, but they will accept donations such as toys, food, treats, blankets and towels.

Norwalk-based is always seeking volunteers who are willing to provide foster homes for the shelter animals when the need arises. Examples of animals that may need fostering include young motherless kittens who need to be bottlefed, kittens or puppies who are too young to be housed at the shelter, dogs or cats recovering from illness or injury, and dogs or cats who would benefit from spending time in a home. Some foster situations will be short-term, and can range from anywhere between overnight or weekend care, to care lasting for several weeks. 

Like many municipal shelters, the does not have time limits for adoption nor does the organization euthanasia for space. On average, CHS, which has three branches including one in Westport, places 90 percent or more of the animals that come through its doors.

The number of animals accepted is determined by those adopted, freeing up space for new animals. In 2010, CHS received 6,641 cats and dogs, 5,538 of which were adopted.

“Based upon looking at numbers compared to last year, we actually received the same number of animals,” Alicia Wright, public relations director of the CHS, told Patch. “What has been different is that people have been much more openly communicative about why they’re having to give up a pet.”

Wright said based on unscientific findings, more pet owners are having to surrender their furry friends for financial reasons.

“In the past people would be reluctant to let us know if it were financial reasons, but since the economy has had the downturn more people are voicing economic concerns, loss of job, loss of home or even being homeless themselves as the reason for having to give up their pets for adoption,” Wright said.

Other reasons people give up their animals include allergies, work or moving to a new location that doesn’t accept animals.

“There seems to be a shift in reasoning, even though we don’t have a great deal of statistics on those, we’d have good reason to believe it has a great deal to do with the economy,” Wright added.

She also said that many facilities in the region are considered “no-kill” facilities or “limited euthanasia” organizations.

“To some degree it is effected by the economy of the area where the shelter is. In the Northeast, we have a very different picture. We have plenty of pets that need homes and pets that need to be rescued, but not as many puppies and young dogs. The southern states are faced with a population of healthy puppies that they are faced with having to put them down,” Wright told Patch.

CHS is considered a “limited euthanasia” organization, according to Wright. As in, if they have the means to care for a cat or dog, they will do so under most circumstances. “If we are able to physically, financially and emotionally care for the animal then we are going to do that. We make euthanasia decisions as a last resort.”

According to Pennatto, euthanization is also a rarity in Fairfield.

“That’s the last option – we rarely ever have to do it. The only reason we would is if we had an overly aggressive animal or is chronically ill,” he told Patch.

The CHS had a 90.8 percent placement number last quarter, according to Wright, who added that the group’s placement rate has not varied much in the past few years, coming in at a steady 85 to 90 percent adoption rate each year.

CHS is a private organization and does not receive state funds. The charity operates strictly on funding from donors and endowments to the tune of approximately $6 million for all three shelters. Wright said the organization is continually seeking to enrich its programs to raise awareness.

“We would be foolish to not always seek new resources and new grants, that’s how we’ve remained a very important charity in the state for the past 130 years,” she told Patch. “What we like people to understand is that we absolutely look to the community to support us and the work that we do, because that is how we will keep going for another 130 years.”

Of the three facilities – Newington being the largest – each shelter receives as many animals as it can manage with a proportional ratio to size.

In cities, animal homelessness is more prevalent. Patch spoke with Officer Tilford Cobb from the who said he hasn’t noticed a change in the number of animals coming through the shelter.

“It’s a revolving door here all the time,” he told Patch

But it’s not all bad news for all those furry friends out there. Working in the field and becoming attached to the animals might be an occupational hazard for those caring for them, but a blessing for the animals (and let’s face it – the owners too!) in need of their love.

Laurie Hollywood, director of Stamford’s Animal Control department, saved Forest, a disabled German shepherd from euthanasia and took him into her care, providing him with medical and physical therapy until his “forever home”  could be found.

Stamford residents Kelly McGuire and and Stephen Payne rescued two adorable brother kittens from a PAWS chapter, who had been in a foster home, nursing respiratory infections just days away from being euthanized.

“If the PAWS volunteer didn’t take home our two kittens and nurse them back to health, we would never have the loving pets we have today,” she told Patch.

In 2008, the Stamford shelter had a very successful year finding homes for 392 animals. The shelter was able to remain a no-kill facility, realizing a 97.3 percent adoption rate, the highest within the State of Connecticut municipal shelter system.  

Does Your Pet Need a New Home?

The Pet Animal Welfare Society can help rehome pets by posting a photo and description of your pet, along with contact information, on their website, and on their Petfinder and Adopt-a-Pet sites.

Please mail the photo and description of your pet, along with your contact info and a check in the amount of $15 made out to PAWS to: PAWS, 504 Main Ave, Norwalk, CT 06851 or you can drop this off at the shelter.

PAWS in Norwalk rescues and rehomes approximately 115 dogs and 435 cats annually. 

Before Giving Up Your Pet

The Connecticut Humane Society provides these options to consider before making the difficult decision to surrender your pet for adoption. Any one of the following ideas might help you keep your beloved pet. 

  • Can your friends or family help?  
  • Have you talked with your doctor about ways to decrease or comfortably live with allergy concerns? 
  • Have you consulted your veterinarian regarding the health of your pet and how to manage any medical issues? 
  • Have you looked into pet-friendly housing options?  
  • Have you researched training options for your pet's behavior issues?  
  • Or, do you need to speak with a Connecticut Humane Society representative about your pet's behavior?

For more information, visit www.cthumane.org.

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