Abandoned pets – a global animal welfare problem

The animals are either abandoned on the streets, left alone in vacant houses or remote areas, or given to animal shelters. This is especially noticeable around the holiday season, when pets bought as gifts become uninteresting after the holidays. In addition, the Covid 19 pandemic has contributed to a significant increase in people adopting a dog, cat or other pet due to lockdown or working from home. When these people return to work and/or find that they no longer have enough time or interest in their pet, they resell their pets, give them to animal shelters or, unfortunately, abandon them on the streets .

The levy From dogs, cats and small mammals to a reputable animal shelter means that you are not on your own, but that the animals are looked after: they are fed and have a warm place to sleep. The animals also have a much better chance of finding a new home through adoption. However, many shelters are overcrowded or lack the resources to take care of the animals, so in some countries they resort to euthanasia to reduce the number of dogs, cats and other creatures in their care. In such situations, it is of little help that some owners abandon their animals to animal shelters or rescue organizations in the hope that they will take care of them.

The expose of pets is different. It basically means that the animals are left to their own devices in the places where they were left: either on the road or in remote areas. Dogs and cats, including puppies and kittens, have also been found in garbage cans, on freeways, or tied to park benches.

Generally, people who abandon their pets know they are doing something wrong, so they try to do the act in secret. People don’t want to be seen and are more likely to abandon their animals when no one is around. It rarely happens that this process is observed directly.

In many countries, abandoning pets is illegal and a criminal offense. This legislation is mainly contained in the animal welfare laws of the respective countries.