This story is featured in CityBeat's Feb. 7 print edition.
Editor’s note: Taylor McLagan is an employee of Cincinnati Animal CARE.
A crisis is unfolding in the heartland of southern Ohio, with county animal shelters in Cincinnati and surrounding areas grappling with an alarming rise in homeless and abandoned pets. A large number of stray animals entering county shelters in recent months has pushed these facilities into a prolonged state of “code red,” setting records and raising concerns within the community.
Economic hardships, compounded by various societal issues, have left many families struggling to care for their beloved pets. Meanwhile, a backlog in spay/neuter surgeries has led to an exponential increase in the number of animals that are not spayed or neutered in many communities. The repercussions of this problem impact those who offer them refuge and the prospect of a brighter future.
An unprecedented challenge
A strong network of county animal shelters in Greater Cincinnati and its surrounding areas work tirelessly to promote responsible pet ownership and offer a safe haven for lost and unwanted pets.
Cincinnati Animal CARE, Hamilton County's only open-intake animal shelter, has provided four years worth of dedicated animal care for the Cincinnati community, offering services for primarily dogs and cats, but also for the occasional chicken, monkey and serval.
The Clermont County Humane Society specializes in reuniting lost dogs and reducing animal homelessness. Kenton County Animal Services serves as the primary law enforcement and sheltering agency of the county, assisting in numerous dog and cat adoptions and advising on injured wildlife.
Celebrating 50 years, the Humane Association of Warren County has excelled as a nonprofit, providing refuge for countless homeless dogs and cats and emphasizing spay/neuter programs.
In Wilmington, the Clinton County Humane Society, specializing in dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, commits to protecting the lives of homeless, abused and neglected animals.
Together, these shelters form a collaborative mission to provide animals with the chance of adoption in Greater Cincinnati.
With Cincinnati’s animal shelters teetering on the brink of an emergency, critical questions arise: Why are these shelters seeing more animals in distress now than ever, and what is behind this sudden rise in the number of stray animals? Furthermore, how does this local issue stand with the national trend of overcrowded shelters and shockingly high euthanasia rates in 2023?
Over the past year, numerous animal shelters in the Cincinnati area have witnessed a substantial increase in the number of dogs requiring assistance in their communities. From a record number of animals being found as strays, to an equally large number of owners trying to surrender their pets.
This scenario is mirrored by the Humane Association of Warren County, Animal Friends Humane Society, Clinton County Humane Society and the Clermont County Animal Shelter, all of which have reported record-breaking increases in dogs.
Notably, the Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society has faced a particularly substantial influx of dogs. In response, CARE has expanded to a second housing location at 4210 Dane Ave. in Northside. Leveraging an already purchased storage warehouse, CARE transformed it, during April of 2023, into a second stray animal facility dedicated to housing more dogs, and is the primary location for Kitty City. The decision to establish an additional facility was prompted by the increasing spatial challenges faced by the main shelter located at 3949 Colerain Ave. in Northside, which, situated about a mile from the Dane Ave. location, had reached full capacity.
While intake is down in the first month of 2024, Kenton County Animal Services’ capacity and adoptions are up. Even the Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center in Columbus, Ohio, finds itself overwhelmed by a higher number of dogs in need than ever before. These shelters play a critical role in caring for stray, abandoned and neglected animals, but the mounting challenges are in urgent need of solutions and support.
Addressing the crisis
As the shelter crises facing Cincinnati and its neighboring regions continue to get worse, shelter employees are growing concerned. Kenton County Animal Services Director, Kelsey Maccombs, shared that in 2020 animal intake dropped due to the pandemic. It took until 2022 for intake to start returning to pre-pandemic levels. Now, in 2023, they are seeing a notable increase in animals, going beyond the numbers from before the pandemic.
“During the height of the pandemic (calendar year 2020), intake nationwide and at Kenton County Animal Services was down significantly,” says Maccombs in an email. “It wasn’t until CY2022 that shelter intake was returning to 2019 rates. While not universally true, it was a national trend and also true for us. In CY2023, we’re seeing intake soar well above pre-pandemic numbers.”
While numbers have slightly lowered in the first month of 2024, a combination of economic challenges and a backlog in spay and neuter programs are further complicating the situation. The economic impact since the pandemic has left many individuals and families struggling to make ends meet. With current rising costs of living and limited financial resources, the ability to provide proper care for pets has become increasingly difficult and veterinary expenses are at an all time high. This, in turn, has led to a higher rate of pet relinquishments and surrenders.
Economic hardship
According to Meaghan Colville, director of lifesaving operations at Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society, people need both pet-friendly housing and financial stability to properly care for their pets.
“To care for a pet, a person needs housing that allows pets and financial means to afford that housing plus veterinary care and daily supplies like food,” says Colville. “When jobs are lost, or financial instability is felt, people can easily find themselves in a position where they are unable to afford their pet. This results in the rehoming of pets or shelter surrender. Something important to keep in mind is that even if a pet is rehomed without ever arriving at the shelter, the shelter is still impacted because the new home for that pet is now one that a shelter pet cannot go into.”
The ever-increasing cost of living, particularly in metropolitan areas, is putting additional pressure on pet owners. As basic living expenses, including housing and utilities, continue to rise, many find it increasingly challenging to allocate the resources necessary for proper pet care. Eviction rates and homelessness also contribute to the problem. This financial strain, unfortunately, can lead to higher rates of owner surrenders and stray animals.
Housing challenges
Restrictive pet policies of landlords and property management companies make it challenging to promote adoption to individuals who currently rent or are needing to move to a rental home.
Nancy Patton, operations manager of Animal Friends Humane Society, notes a shift to a new generation of dog owners facing challenges in finding pet-friendly rentals, considering dog ownership a luxury that many hesitate to take on due to financial concerns in the current economy.
“We are transitioning to a new generation of dog owners who can’t afford to buy houses and are renting (problem number one),” explains Patton. “There are not enough dog friendly rental companies. Specifically in our community, BBRents is one of the biggest rental companies in our area, and last time I checked, they were not animal friendly. Owning a dog is a luxury and not a right as well, so I believe that many people are scared to take on any type of financial burden in our current economy.”
Many renters find themselves in a precarious situation when searching for pet-friendly housing as strict “no-pets” clauses often leave new tenants with little choice but to relinquish their animals. The result? An increasing number of pets are finding their way into the shelter system.
National pause in spay and neuter programs
Since 2020, the halt in non-essential spay and neuter services has created long-lasting effects on the number of animals not spayed or neutered entering local animal shelters. Spaying and neutering are important for controlling animal populations and preventing overbreeding. When these programs are disrupted or delayed, it can result in a greater number of animals being born in communities and, ultimately, ending up in shelters.
This increase in surgery demand is not only affecting the well-being of animals in need but also presenting financial hurdles for municipal shelters and their budgets. These shelters, which often operate on limited resources, are now under greater pressure to provide an overwhelming amount of surgeries that even keep up with the rate of adoptions. The increased costs associated with veterinary services, including spay/neuter surgeries and general vet check-ups, are adding to the burden.
Nonprofit organizations, which serve as crucial support systems for underfunded shelters, also find themselves in a precarious situation. They are required to allocate more funds for necessary surgeries and veterinary care before animals can be adopted. Given their constrained budgets and the rising number of animals requiring assistance, these organizations are facing significant challenges in maintaining the same level of care they’ve provided in the past.
The national veterinarian shortage plays a large part in shelters trying to provide animals with essential spay and neuter surgeries and basic vet care, with many vets struggling with emotional and mental health concerns, student loan debt, compassion fatigue (a deep physical and emotional exhaustion and noticeable change in an individual's ability to feel empathy for their clients, the pets they care for, their loved ones and their co-workers) and labor shortages.
With only 3,200 yearly graduates on average and only 32 certified veterinarian schools in the nation, one potential solution is to increase openings at these programs to allow for more students. According to an LSU School of Veterinary Medicine representative, LSU’s School of Veterinary Medicine plans to increase student enrollment and graduation rates to elevate a shortage of veterinarians across the country.
Lexie Gans, administrative assistant at the Cincinnati Animal CARE clinic, points to a complex set of challenges which include a combination of economic factors, staffing issues, resource constraints and outsourcing challenges that has led to the overpopulation at local shelters.
“All of these issues contribute to our spay and neuter backlog, plus the vet shortage,” says Gans. “Overpopulation and increased numbers of animals have forced us to allow animals to leave the shelter and go into a ‘pre-adopt status’ without their spay and neuter surgeries. This status gives us open kennels and a lesser length of stay while waiting for a surgery spot to become available.”
Higher intake numbers
The alarming intake rates at county shelters across the nation are not just a concerning statistic, they’re a distressing reality that is causing significant repercussions. As the Shelter Animals Count national database reveals, 2023 marks a three-year high for animal intakes in both public and private shelters across the United States.
This trend has led to an increase in post-pandemic euthanasia rates, particularly for dogs, as the Shelter Animals Count national database shows a 37% rise in euthanizations from January to July 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. One crucial factor contributing to this crisis is the rising number of stray animals. According to Shelter Animals Count, dogs outnumber cats in shelter admissions in many major cities.
“I think the problem lies more in the fact that animals are not moving out of the shelter to make room for the new ones. An animal shelter’s design is to be a revolving door and for animals to be leaving very shortly after they arrive, however some animals are sitting in our shelter for upwards of a year or more and most definitely for months at the very least,” Patton points out. “Even highly adoptable and sought-after breeds, such as poodles, bulldogs and chihuahuas, are sitting for weeks to months waiting for a new family.”
Animal Friends Humane Society in Butler County saw a significant increase in shelter intakes in 2023, with 5,548 animals entering compared to 4,607 in 2022, according to their website.
Other county shelters in southern Ohio also share space-related concerns. Maccombs, of Kenton County, underscores the ongoing challenges they face, with a 23% increase in dog intake in 2023, highlighting the critical issue of limited space.
“We have a decent facility with good housing for animals in care, but it’s not space efficient, and, like many shelters, we have to create makeshift housing to accommodate the influx,” Maccombs says. “Our team is scrappy and always ready to hustle, and truthfully, we get lucky a lot. I hope we stay lucky.”
Maccombs words show the resilience and dedication of many working tirelessly in animal shelters to make space for new intakes while providing the same level of care for the current population of animals.
Data from Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society contains statistics that shed further light on the critical situation facing animal shelters in Ohio. CARE’s commitment to transparency is evident as they openly publish these intake statistics on their website amongst other shelter data.
In 2020, the total number of intakes at Cincinnati Animal CARE was 2,739, but by the end of 2022, this number had more than doubled to a total of 7,456. As of Dec. 31, CARE has reported a total number of 6,548 animals that have entered their facility in 2023.
This startling jump in intake rates shows the urgency of the issue at hand. While this data provides a stark perspective on the gravity of the situation, it also serves as a call to action, emphasizing the imperative need for collective efforts to address this growing hardship.
What we can do
The situation unfolding in shelters around southern Ohio, particularly in Cincinnati and its surrounding areas, is a complex issue with far-reaching consequences. The escalation in homeless and abandoned pets is a result of economic hardships, restrictive housing policies and a backlog in spay/neuter programs. This setback affects the animals and strains the resources and resilience of the shelters dedicated to their well-being.
"Shelters are currently facing a serious situation, and communities need to come together and help," says Gans of Cincinnati Animal CARE. "We need to fight for more housing options for our furry friends and provide more spay and neuter initiatives to the public. Donate to your local animal shelters, offer dogs and cats a temporary home from overcrowded shelters, and spread the word about adopting instead of buying from breeders.”
To address this emergency, it is crucial for the community, nonprofit organizations and local governments to come together and find solutions. This involves expanding affordable housing options for pet owners, increasing support for spay and neuter programs, assisting families facing economic hardships and promoting animal shelter adoptions.
“We are utilizing social media, word of mouth, dog dates and any other ways that we can get our name out into the community,” says Patton. “We would love to see one of our animals in everyone’s house in our area, but it still won’t fix the real problem. People are struggling, and so, therefore, animal welfare is struggling. It’s all hand in hand.”
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