By Nick Engelfried
In the first week of November, a Multnomah County Animal Services shelter in Troutdale, Oregon took in 86 dogs and puppies. The shelter was trying to house 103 dogs in a facility meant to accommodate no more than 92. Throughout the county, shelters operated at 90 percent capacity, pointing to a severe shortage of space for animals in need of homes.

Erin Grahek, Director of Multnomah County Animal Services, told FOX 12 Oregon, “We are at a critical point where our kennels are full of wonderful dogs who are ready for their forever families. The single most helpful thing the community can do right now is open their homes to adoption, or spread the word to friends and family who are ready to adopt.”

Unfortunately, the situation of Multnomah County animal shelters is not unique. All over the United States, shelters are having their resources strained by a massive increase in the number of stray or unwanted animals who need help–especially dogs. This crisis has a massive cost in terms of animal suffering, as nearly 607,000 dogs and cats were euthanized in US shelters last year alone. Meanwhile, shelter staff and volunteers suffer emotional exhaustion as they struggle to help in a situation where there simply aren’t enough facilities to accommodate the number of animals who need them.

A variety of social and economic factors have come together to create this dire state of affairs, and there appear to be no easy solutions. However, at its core, the shelter crisis is about increasing costs and the fact that fewer and fewer people today feel they can afford to care for an animal. These rising costs can be broken down into three main categories.

First, a dramatic decrease in the affordability of housing has led to fewer homes for pets. To put it bluntly: people who are unable or barely able to afford housing for themselves will be much less likely to be able to provide a home for an animal. In the most extreme cases, individuals who become houseless may feel forced to give up their dogs or cats. Beyond this, living in a cramped apartment, renting instead of owning a home, or sharing space with roommates to cut costs are all factors that make it less likely people will have the physical space for an animal. Many renters are unable to find pet-friendly buildings.

At the most basic level, being forced to spend more on housing also means people have fewer financial resources to provide for a pet’s needs. This relates to the next major cause of the shelter crisis: an increased cost of living.

The general uptick in prices for all kinds of products and services–known as inflation–leaves people with less money left over to care for an animal. Rising costs for food, energy, healthcare, and other necessities all make people less likely to adopt. As prices continue to rise and worker wages fail to keep pace, many people are left feeling they can’t afford to take care of themselves and their human families, let alone a pet.

Finally, there are rising costs specific to the care of an animal. Forbes reports that the average cost of a vet visit nationwide is now $60.90, or $108.39 for two animals. This is prohibitive for many animal owners, especially in the context of other rising costs. The combination of expensive housing, general inflation, and rising vet bills means a growing percentage of the public simply can’t envision themselves as pet caretakers.

While both dogs and cats are affected by this confluence of factors, it’s important to note dogs have been especially hard hit. It is true that far too many cats still end up in shelters–but the number does not seem to have increased dramatically in the same way it has for dogs. Partly, this is thanks to the recent success of humane trap-neuter-return programs that have cut down on the number of stray cats. It also seems likely many people who feel they don’t have space in their home for a dog are still able to care for a cat.

The bottom line, though, is there is an urgent need to find more homes for both dogs and cats, while also equipping shelters to deal with the increase in animals being brought to their doors. In 2020, shelters took in a record low of 5.5 million animals–a hopeful sign that fewer pets were being abandoned while more found forever homes. However, since then this positive trend has reversed. According to the ASPCA, 5.8 million dogs and cats entered shelters in 2024, while only 4.2 million were adopted.

The true toll of the shelter crisis is difficult to put into words. Dogs and cats who could make loving members of a family languish in cramped kennels. While shelter staff and volunteers do their best to provide for the physical and emotional needs of animals, they simply cannot keep up with the numbers of abandoned pets needing attention. Dogs end up in pop-up crates or converted offices because there isn’t enough room in shelter kennels.

So, what can be done to fix this crisis? At a societal level, policymakers must find ways to make the cost of living more affordable, especially when it comes to housing, food, and energy. Recent inflation means there are far too many people who can’t afford to take on a pet as they scrape to afford basic necessities.

At an individual level, if you can take care of a pet then the best thing to do is adopt. Every dog or cat taken into a loving home is one less animal that needs to be housed in a shelter. Obviously, you should make sure you are in a position to provide for an animal’s needs before taking this step. However, if you have the means to adopt, don’t hesitate to do so! You can also sign up to volunteer at a shelter.

If you are struggling to afford feeding and caring for your own pet, there are ways to reduce the costs of animal care at least a little bit. The ASPCA recommends taking your cat or dog in for regular vet check-ups so as to catch health problems before they become much more expensive to treat. The organization also suggests grooming your dog at home, asking your veterinarian which vaccines are actually necessary, and avoiding exposing your pet to health risks like secondhand smoke.

Although long-term solutions to the pet home crisis aren’t simple, there are things we can do as a society and as individuals to reduce the burden on shelters and ensure more animals find their forever homes. Whether by adopting an animal yourself, volunteering at a shelter, or being an engaged citizen in pursuit of policy solutions, everyone can play a part in addressing this massive problem.

Photo credit: Pixabay

Wait, there’s one more step:

Over 1,620,280 Animal Shelter Meals Donated So Far –

Upgrade to a Premium Membership to get a free Animals Are Earth’s Greatest Treasure shirt, feed shelter animals with the Educational Series and Meal Wheel, sign 100’s of petitions with one-click, remove ads, and promote your favorite petitions to millions!

7 day money-back guarantee for new members. Zero risk.

Premium Membership comes with the following perks:

• Get a free Animals Are Earth’s Greatest Treasure shirt.
• Feed shelter animals by spinning the Meal Wheel.
• Sign 100’s of petitions with one-click.
• Feed shelter animals with the Educational Series quizzes.
• Remove ads and vote on which petitions are displayed to millions of people.

Our Guarantee:

Cancel your subscription for any reason within 7 days and we’ll refund 100% of your money, as long as you’re a first time member.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How are the animal shelter meals donated?

We donate shelter meals through Rescue Bank because they research all shelters, maintain equitable distribution, and track the meals from their facilities all the way to the rescue groups. This ensures that the donation will be utilized in the most efficient and impacting way.

Why don’t we just donate meals without providing any perks like the Meal Wheel?

We’ve been at this since 2008 and have learned that to really make a difference, we need to get people excited and engaged. Our mission is a serious one, but our methods are playful and educational. We’re serious about doing good, but also want to make it fun.

Who are we?

We are a family of sites that works to protect animals, the environment, and more. Our sites include AnimalPetitions.org and ForceChange.com. We’ve been at this for over a decade and are dedicated to protecting and defending animals and the environment. If we can have some fun and improve the world, then we’re accomplishing our goal!

Try Premium!

We’ve Been Doing This for Over a Decade and Others Have Taken Notice:

7 Day Guarantee!

Testimonials:

“Thank you SO much for the premium feature of being able to sign multiple petitions with one click. Many of us go for hours at a time signing each and every petition and crying as we read them. I have often wished for a way to sign my name on every petition because I passionately support them and they all need our voice. This is the best thing – thank you very much!” -Karilyn K., Premium Member

“This is just the most amazing wonderful service that makes me so happy! To be able to feed shelter pets is just the greatest feeling. Thanks again for this, and for all you do for the most innocent and helpless among us, the animals. I’m lovestruck.” Sandra Z., Premium Member

“I love the upgrade option and I am so glad I did it.....it enables me to stand with you and many others to fight for the justice these precious souls deserve! We are their voice!!!! And....I adore helping to feed them as well! The spin the wheel game is fun....and I like doing it everyday to help! Keep up the wonderful work....and I know....every click makes a difference!” Dorothy B., Premium Member

“I am so excited to become a Premium Member and to have one-click signing, as I was spending countless hours signing petitions...not that I mind doing it, but my goodness, there sure are a lot of them. I always hope that my signature somehow helps, because these people that abuse/torture animals, need to be put away. As you can tell, that is my passion, I have such a heart for animals, and I want to be their voice.” Darlene R., Premium Member

“Thank you so much! I love being a premium member and spinning that wheel every day, especially when I land on 4 or, best of all, 5 meals. Thank you for all you do, we are all so grateful for you.” Sandy T., Premium Member

“With deepest Aloha, You have no idea how grateful I am for you!” Jan L., Premium Member

“Thank you for the Premium Membership option. I really appreciate that I can sign multiple petitions with one click. It's great! Thank you for the work you do.” Ashley H., Premium Member

“I absolutely love the Educational Series!” Yvonne L., Premium Member

"I am a premium member and religiously sign every petition. THANK YOU for this platform. I also vote for the petition nearest my heart, sometimes voting globally, sometimes I am caught by an individual animal's plight. What gives me great pleasure is noting that almost always, the percentages have no more than a 6-7% spread. It means that, overall, everyone cares about all of the petitions ALMOST EQUALLY! LOL, I also spin that wheel, and when I get 4 or 5 meals, I dance around the room! I have long maintained that what someone does to a helpless animal, they will do to a weaker human if they think that they can get away with it. Those who abuse, no matter how many legs their victims have, should be punished to the fullest extent of the law." Rebecca E., Premium Member

"I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Premium Membership! Everything and anything I can do to help animals and contribute to justice in the world makes me very happy!" Jan L., Premium Member

"Thank you, I love what you do. My friends and I love the membership because we can sign so many more petitions that we may never had heard of. Keep up the good work." Virginia G., Premium Member

---

Still have questions? Email us: organize@forcechange.com

Nick Engelfried Writes About Animals, the Environment, and Conservation for the ForceChange network