All the upheaval caused by the coronavirus affects more than just us. It is also affecting pets in East Texas, some of which are being abandoned by families that cannot afford to care for them anymore.
President of the SPCA Deborah Dobbs said Friday that caring for abandoned animals in our area is a struggle, even during good times.
“East Texas is just so deficient, in terms of shelters and animal care and rescue facilities,” Dobbs stated.
Dobbs said financial anxiety has already led many people to abandon their pets, where it could be days before they are rescued, if at all.
“What I think is concerning us right now,” she explained. “Is the animals that are being left behind by people that—for whatever reason—you know, something has happened. We’ve got a situation right now where an elderly woman has a litter of puppies and the adult male and female. I’m sure they were dumped. She’s 80-something years old. She can’t, she cannot get 12 dogs in her car!”
Abandoning a pet is a Class A misdemeanor in Texas, which can result in a fine of up to $4,000 and as much as a year in jail.
“We would rather you call us and tell us about your situation,” Dobbs said. “And let us try to find a solution than just take it out and abandoning it, because it’s going to suffer; it could be injured; it could starve; it could cause a car accident; it could bite a child.”
Dobbs said the SCPA of East Texas is trying hard not to close its doors in case it can find room for that next dog or cat, but it is running out of capacity in its shelter and within its foster network. Adoptions have slowed down, so she needs more people willing to foster.
“Fostering is not expensive,” she explained. “Because we provide the supplies and the food and the veterinary care.”
She added that a few new people have offered to foster dogs and cats, but she hopes more will follow soon.
“What we are seeing,” she mentioned. “Is people are home now, and they’re calling us and saying, ‘hey, I’m working from home, I’m home all day. I’d like to foster.’”
And because she expects more dogs and cats to come into her care, Dobbs says fundraising will be as critical as ever.
“This is not a profitable industry,” she stated. “It is definitely a money-loser. It is a great mission, and we rely 100 percent on donors.”
The SPCA of East Texas will offer a wellness clinic on Saturday at its N NE Loop 323 location. It will not offer checkups, but pet owners can buy low-cost medications and products.