Give Me Shelter: The Recession's Furry Victims

I learned yesterday that the MSPCA will be closing three of its Animal Care and Adoption Centers due to lack of funds. Within the next several months, the shelters in Brockton ("our" shelter in Metro South), Martha's Vineyard and Springfield (Western New England) will all be closed.

This news is a death knoll for many, many unwanted household pets because, like the signs of foreclosure some see in their neighborhoods, this is just one scary red flag of what could come in the years ahead.

What will become of the small-town shelters that are often overrun with pets needing homes? When I worked for a small-town shelter, the salary paid to the Animal Control Officer was pitiful. Here is the person expected to scrape up roadkill, corral loose livestock, break up dog fights, get a skunk out of a fireplace, investigate your neighbor's dog who is out all all night. . . (I could go on and on); this person is expected to do this at any hour for a salary that many of us would find insulting. And, yet, towns are struggling to cover so many projects with too little money. "ACO" is just another line item on their budget and I imagine that some will scratch it out to fund other things like schools, road repair or town salaries.

What will become of the cats? We've been fortunate up here in New England with the success of the spay/neuter programs for dogs. In fact, many people need to adopt their Shelter Dogs from the south since there are so few in the area shelters. Indeed, the first time I walked into the Brockton MSPCA, I was stunned that there were only 3 or 4 dogs up for adoption. Even ten years ago, when I worked at a town shelter, we were full all the time.

But cats? Oy, they are still overrun with cats. Old cats, kittens, fat, skinny, long-haired, short-haired. The Brockton location has two areas to accommodate all the cats. The back room is filled with the traditional metal cages for the "more adoptable" cats: the cute, little, young ones. But, in the front of the shelter, there is a room filled with light and soft couches, chairs, cat toys and little "nooks" for hiding. This is where the older cats go: the ones who have been beloved pets for years before being surrendered. I can attest that these older cats usually do poorly in a noisy, cold metal cage. I love that they have this space to just "be cats", and that people could come in, sit on the couch, and give these creatures some affection.

Where will the "others" go? The rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and especially the "exotic" pets that some people adopt because they are "cool" but then realize they stink, or need to eat expensive food, or have insane vet bills. Many town shelters do not accept ANY of these animals; the MSPCA was the one place that did accept some. I'm doubtful that someone in Springfield who is under great financial strain will pack up their parrot, iguana, rabbit or 25 guinea pigs and drive them out to Boston to be surrendered.

As the recession gets worse, there will be more families who realize that they have to make a choice: feed and care for themselves, or for their pet. My heart goes out to them.

But, mostly it goes out to the people who work in the closing MSPCA shelters and to those animals who need it now and will need it in the months and years to come.

Sad times.