PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — Courtney Bodett said his wife went to Graham to check in on a family home last night, but then things took an expected turn when a kitten popped up.
“When she approached it, it was friendly,” Bodett said. “Then all of the other cats came out of the bushes at her, and the next thing I knew I was getting a phone call from her, saying, ‘we got nine cats.”
The Bodetts decided to bring the cats to the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, but they were concerned that there might not be room.
Currently, the animal shelter is caring for more than 700 animals, putting them at capacity.
Lindsey Heaney said that many pet owners in Pierce County are struggling to keep up with the rising costs of veterinary care, which is already in short supply.
Housing also plays a key role. According to Human Animal Support Services, based on the amount of households that are behind on rent in Pierce County, more than 21,000 pets could be without a home within the next 30-90 days.
“It’s hard to keep up with the increase in rent, but also the fees associated with having a pet,” Heaney said. “So pet fees, a security deposit, as well as finding places that will allow for a certain breed and weight restrictions, has been very difficult.”
In order to entice prospective pet owners and free up space, the Humane Society has reduced adoption fees for its animals.
Heaney hopes this will give community members the chance to find a new pet and give them a home.
“Being able to free up space in our kennels for more animals is really the goal, but also for our longer stay pets that’ve been here for a while, to finally find their forever home would be really great, so adoptions are urgently needed for us,” she said.
Heaney went on to say that if you find a lost pet, it’s actually better to try and locate the owner first, because they’re probably nearby. If you’re a pet owner and you want to surrender your pet, Heaney recommends trying to find another home for the animal before bringing it to a shelter, which should be the last resort for the pets, where the animals may be housed for months at a time.