Why 'thousands' of Aussie dogs are being surrendered at alarming rates
Animal carers are pleading for change as rehoming centres across the country are full of unwanted pets.
While we relish the post-lockdown world, man's best friend faces the same reality we are ecstatic to be freed from — stuck inside and unsure of what the future holds.
Dogs are being surrendered at an alarming rate across Australia, with animal sanctuaries and rehoming centres "full to the brim" with animals who require a new home.
“It's such an epidemic at the moment," Jesse Reinhard from Dog Rescue Newcastle told Yahoo News Australia. "Especially the scale that we're currently seeing ... There's thousands of dogs in pounds everywhere and hundreds are dying every day because there is just not enough homes."
"Seeing any dog in that kind of environment is always heartbreaking."
Why are so many dogs being surrendered?
There are layers of complexity to the issue, but a simple imbalance between supply and demand is the leading reason why so many dogs are being cared for by pounds, with "too many animals" being cited for 30 per cent of surrenders by the RSPCA during 2022 and early 2023.
"It's a bounce back from COVID, everyone has got these puppies over lockdown ... Now they're back at work and able to travel, and they have dogs they don't have time to care for," Bree Sands from SMART Animal Sanctuary and Rehoming Centre in Kunama, southwest NSW, told Yahoo.
"My boss and I actually counted a month or two ago in a matter of one hour there were multiple phone calls and 33 animals people asked to surrender ... There's been a real influx."
This echos Jesse's experience who shared his rescue centre was "high on adoptions and low on dogs" during lockdown, with many dogs struggling to "acclimatise" when normal life and social events resumed, causing some families to surrender their pet due to bad behaviour.
The surge in cost of living has also contributed to 12 per cent of surrenders, with dog owners unable to afford basic care for their pets, and the housing crisis has shone an unfavourable light on pet owners who hope to secure rental properties over candidates who do not own any.
Local council opens $36 million pet 'concierge service'
Blacktown City Council, situated in western Sydney, officially opened what is said was the "largest council facility in the southern hemisphere" last week to tackle the rising issue of dogs and other pets being surrendered.
Blacktown Animal Rehoming Centre (BARC) will provide a "concierge service" to help connect the right animal with their owner, taking lifestyle and home size into consideration.
"We want to provide a home for good for the animals that come through our door," Mayor of Blacktown City, Tony Bleasdale, told Yahoo. "We don't want to be part of the old history of things where euthanasia is the key. It's about finding homes for animals."
Despite approval being granted in 2017, the facility has expanded its capacity since the "the number of animals being surrendered is increasing", with 135 dog kennels.
What is the solution?
Alongside finding more homes for dogs, Jesse believes the rate in which the animals are being bred needs to slow to match the decline in demand.
"The approach would be to community desexing... we should provide free or low-cost desexing to people who can't afford it which will prevent accidental litters," he said.
Serial puppy farmer given lifetime ban after 'cruel' $180,000 dog trade exposed
Warning to pet owners after dog 'poisoned' by household device
Changing the negative narrative around pounds and educating more prospective pet owners on the benefits of adoption would also go a long way in mitigating the issue.
"We need to show the more positive side of rehoming centres... these dogs are great pets and even better companions."
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
