WEST ALLIS, Wis.— After two years of nearly empty pet shelters and rescues, some organizations are starting to see intake numbers tick up once again.
Lucky Mutts Rescue, in the Milwaukee area, is one of them.
Carrie Zake, who helps run the volunteer-led organization, said by this weekend, they will have around 70 dogs in their foster program, a huge increase from a low of just 7 in mid-2020.
While Zake said there are a variety of reasons why they, and other rescues, are seeing more dogs, one is that some people simply never realized the responsibility that comes with having a dog.
Time and care were easier for some when they were home all day, due to the pandemic. However, they may not have planned for what a return to work and normal life may have looked like.
While Zake said she understands people have extenuating circumstances, she said it is troubling when people fail to plan.
“It is disappointing because we do get requests from people who just haven’t put forth 100% effort to make things work,” said Zake
Lucky Mutts said they have been able to keep up with the number of “pandemic pups” being returned.
However, they have also seen fewer people rushing to adopt, as well as fewer people signing up to foster.
“If we can’t adopt, can’t get fosters, then we can’t save more,” said Zake
To learn more about how you can help Lucky Mutts Rescue, click here.