The Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA in Pomona is facing an unprecedented crisis, as animal shelters across the state, and even nationwide, are struggling with overcrowding due to the pandemic.
Nikole Bresciani, the president and CEO of the shelter, points to the newly constructed kennels in their lobby, which house an influx of stray cats. “We’ve never had kennels in the lobby for cats,” she said. The shelter has also added pop-up crates for dogs in another area, as they try to accommodate the overflow of animals coming in since the COVID lockdown.
The shelter, which serves a dozen cities in the region, is just one of many experiencing this crisis. From North Carolina to New York City, shelters have been forced to limit intakes or temporarily close due to being at capacity. According to Shelter Animals Count, 9% of dogs at government-run or contracted shelters and rescue organizations in California were put down from January through October last year, with the figure jumping to 13% through October of this year.
The high euthanasia rates are largely due to a lack of adoptions, which cannot keep up with the growing number of dogs coming in. “We can’t get the animals out fast enough,” says Cynthia Rigney, board president of the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society. “We are all under the gun. It’s a mess.”
One of the main factors contributing to the crisis is the shortage of veterinarians and the high cost of pet care. During the height of the pandemic, many clinics considered spaying and neutering nonessential and cut back on performing the procedures, resulting in more pregnant dogs and puppies coming into shelters.
The rise of backyard breeding has also been a major contributor, especially with larger, more difficult to care for dogs like huskies. “Cute little huskies grow up to be big husky dogs — they need to be trained and walked,” says Rigney. “We’re primarily filled with big dogs.”
To address the overcrowding, the Los Angeles City Council recently moved to halt new permits for dog breeding until their six shelters are at 75% capacity for three consecutive months. L.A. County, however, has decided against this measure, with Marcia Mayeda, director of the county Department of Animal Care and Control, stating that breeding licenses are not driving shelter intakes.
In the meantime, shelters like the Inland Valley Humane Society are taking matters into their own hands. To entice people to adopt or foster, they are waiving adoption fees, hosting evening adoption events, and even offering $200 gift cards.
MaryAna DeLosSantos, the organization’s director of operations, says they are constantly trying to be creative. “This is uncharted territory,” she says. But with the overwhelming number of animals coming in and limited resources, the situation may only get worse before it gets better.
