Top 10 Reasons for Surrendering Pets – The Real Reasons

Each year, between 6-8 million animals end up in animal shelters in the United States. Ultimately, 75% of all cats and 50% of all dogs that enter those shelters are killed. Study shows 86 percent of pets
surrendered to shelters are there because of reasons related to the owners’ circumstances. What's the real reasons people surrender their pets?

For first-time pet owners, there’s often a stigma attached to dogs and cats that come from shelters and adoption centers. Due to the mistaken belief that shelter animals were given up because they didn’t make good pets, many potential owners see them as tainted or undesirable. As a result, shelter animals are frequently overlooked in favor of the puppies and kittens in pet store windows.

 Here are the top ten most common reasons dogs end up in shelters:

Dogs

1. Moving
2. Landlord issues
3. Cost of pet maintenance
4. No time for pet
5. Inadequate facilities
6. Too many pets in home
7. Pet illness(es)
(often due to lack of care or lack of money)
8. Personal or health problems
9. Biting (usually a training problem)
10. No homes for litter mates

Here are the top ten most common reasons cats end up in shelters:

Cats

 1. Too many in house
2. Allergies
3. Moving
4. Cost of pet maintenance
5. Landlord issues
6. No homes for litter mates
7. House soiling (often due to illness or stress)
8. Personal problems
9. Inadequate facilities
10. Doesn't get along with other pets (often means they got a kitten and don't want the older cat any longer)

Adopting a pet is a commitment to care for that pet as long as it lives. You can eliminate some of the problems listed above by following these tips:
  • Make a budget to see if you can afford the annual pet maintenance. 
  • When moving to a new location, make sure that pets are allowed. Search here for "Pet Friendly" apartments by state.
  • Have your pet spayed or neutered. When adopting from a shelter, the pet has been "fixed" before you take them home. Also included in the adoption fees are current vaccinations, usually a free vet visit and temperament evaluated. If you adopt or find a pet from other than a shelter or rescue group, click here for a Free to Low Cost Spay and Neuter list.
  • Make sure you have proper facilities and room for another pet. There's many animal lovers in the world, and I know how tempting it is to get "just one more". Perhaps fostering a pet would be the solution for you. If you find it's too "crowded" you can give the pet back to the shelter or rescue group, giving that furbaby a chance to get adopted and have a happy life.

These are just some of the things you can do before adopting. Of course #!*% happens in life which can't be avoided. Think it through carefully before adopting and make sure you're able to do everything possible to secure a happy life for you and your new pet.

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