Iowa’s Animal Shelters Are Seeing An Upswing In Surrendered Pets

It's not breaking news to mention the cost of (what feels like) everything in America has gone up. Gas, groceries, electronics, and even clothing in some places. Everyone has had their wallets affected due to inflation. What makes this even worse is some families feel it's necessary to give up their pets because they feel like they can't afford them.

KCRG spoke with Julie Skellenger, who is the manager of the Kiya Koda Humane Society, which is located in Indianola, Iowa, and she said they receive calls every day from people ready to give up their pets. The problem is this humane society only has so much room and they're running out of space.

People call us every day wanting to surrender their animals. We only have so much space in our facility, so if we don’t have the room, we have to tell them no.

There has also been an increase in people who have just dumped their pets on the side of the road. The Animal Rescue League of Iowa issues a statement saying when the economy turns for the worse, pet owners struggle with the cost. This can include housing and veterinary costs, which is beyond a lot of pet owners' affordability.

What makes me curious about individuals who get rid of their pets because they can't afford them is, do they do anything different to combat the cost? Do they stop grabbing a $9 coffee every day? Do they go grocery shopping and make meals from home instead of going out for lunch every day? Do they cancel un-needed tv subscriptions to save money? Do they have an Amazon box arrive at their front doorstep every day? If you feel like it's getting expensive to feed your dog, it's time for YOU to make an adjustment to your lifestyle.

While the sad reality is that yes, sometimes people are trying their very best for their pet and still need help. I want you to know that if you're at the stage where you don't know what to do to continue feeding your pet, there are a ton of resources you can use. All it takes is putting your pride away and asking for help.

You wouldn't send your kid back to the hospital just because of inflation, would you? Please don't do this with your pets. They love you and need you. You can visit K9 of Mine and find places to get free dog food for low-income families. The list varies from Pet Shelters to Religious Institutions. If you feel you need help, look for it.

I live in a house with 5 cats and I'm being dead serious when I say I think my fiance would kick me out of the house before she'd get rid of any of our pets. Here's my family's dog, Lola. I can promise you my family wouldn't give up Lola for any amount of money in the world. My dad constantly reminds us that Lola is his most well-behaved kid.