By Gabriella Payne
With Melbourne’s tough lockdown laws easing and things slowly returning to ‘normal’, animal shelters across the city are experiencing a notable increase in the amount of dogs and cats being surrendered.
Charlie Keele, spokeswoman for the Australian Animal Protection Society (AAPS) said that “from July 1 to September 30 we had just shy of 40 dogs come through our shelter, which was a really optimistic sign, but since 1 October to now we have seen almost the same amount come through our care.”
Ms Keele said that it had been a very difficult time “as some of the surrenders were because people could not afford to care for their pets properly” due to loss of income during the pandemic.
No direct correlation has been made between the number of surrendered animals rising and restrictions being lifted, but Ms Keele said that whatever the reasoning, there had still been a “dramatic increase”.
As well as dogs, the AAPS has been inundated with stray and unwanted kittens in recent weeks, due to stray cats and owners not having their pets desexed.
Ms Keele said that it was currently kitten season, with some as young as one day old being handed over to their team of dedicated staff and volunteers.
“We are just lucky enough that there are people out there who bring them to us, so we can provide the care they need,” Ms Keele said.
Earlier in the year, many people adopted new animals and turned to their pets for support during lockdown, as the majority of Melbourne were forced to work from home.
Now that people are slowly returning to work, the AAPS are urging pet owners to continue thinking of their furry friends, promoting the message “don’t forget your pets”.
If people are struggling to care for their pets, Ms Keele said “there is always help out there, whether it be training or behaviour support”.
The AAPS have also recently opened a new vet clinic which offers heavily discounted rates for the local community.
