Shelters, rescues, and sanctuaries are frantically working to shelter and care for the influx of abandoned and surrendered animal companions whose numbers have reached a new high. Cruelty case workers are stymied by the lack of resources and available havens for abused and neglected animals, but the texts, emails, social media messages, and calls keep flooding in.

We heard such good things about animal adoption statistics during the COVID lockdown days. So, what is going on now? Is it the economy? Is it that people are returning to jobs and surrendering the animals adopted during the pandemic? Or, could it be a combination of economics, misappropriated time, or perhaps a combination of the two added to some perception of greater uncertainty than during the COVID peak?

Whatever the factors that are so desperately impacting our fellow species, it’s certain that it’s going to take those of us who truly care going all out and really pulling together. We must support the efforts of our local rescues and shelters. Even the organizations that partner to transport animals needing homes from regions overpopulated with animal companions are at a near standstill.

There are regions of our country that have no shelters or rescues. In Mississippi where our Hope Animal Sanctuary and Justice for Animals campaign operate and in many other areas of our country, you can literally travel from county to county and find no resources for abandoned and neglected animals. Few shelters aid cats and there are hourly pleas for help from individuals who, unable to afford spaying or neutering for their animals or the animals that show up at their homes, now have 15-30 cats, dogs, or both.

Let’s make our money and our volunteer time count by aiding spay and neuter clinics, regional rescues and shelters, and our Hope Animal Sanctuary which cares for and places animals in a state-of-the-art facility.

Find out more about what we’re doing by checking out our Justice for Animals campaign and Hope Animal Sanctuary, and support our work by making a donation.