ANIMAL ABANDONMENT ISSUE
Every day, hundreds of thousands of animals are abandoned by their owners worldwide, leaving them on the streets, in vacant properties, in remote areas, or animal shelters. Confused and frightened because their owner left them in an unknown place, these animals are left to fend for themselves and the uncertain fate that awaits them. The fate of abandoned animals is almost always tragic. Although some of them end up in shelters or eventually find a new home, most of them are condemned to survival and constant fear after abandonment. Abandoning animals in many cases is a guaranteed death sentence for them, especially for cubs who cannot take care of themselves. Abandoned animals on the street will likely be thirsty, hungry, and exposed to extreme weather conditions and unpredictable situations in which they will not know how to navigate. Without veterinary care, shelter, and food, sooner or later they will get sick and die.
Abandoning pets has significant consequences, not only for animals but also for society as a whole. Animals that suddenly remain on the street represent a risk to traffic safety, and often due to fear or a feeling of insecurity as well as in search of food, they represent a "distraction" to the community, they attack other animals or even people. Also, pets that are abandoned without being veterinary treated, sterilized, or castrated, greatly contribute to the problem of further reproduction and an increase in the number of animals on the streets, as well as the spread of various diseases, potentially dangerous to humans.
- unwanted litter - 15.3%,
- the end of the hunting season - 12.6%,
- problematic animal behavior - 10.8%,
- economic factors - 10.7%,
- loss of interest - 9.8%,
- changes of residence - 8.9%,
- allergies of family members - 4.4%,
- having a baby - 3.9%,
- hospitalization or death of the owner - 6.0%,
- holidays - 1.2%
- and fear of infection with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy - 0.5%.
Various studies have also shown how the SARS-COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in the purchase of pets, predominantly dogs and cats, due to isolation and working from home. When people started to go back to work after the end of the pandemic and the lifting of the measures related to it, a large number of them realized that they no longer have enough time or that they are simply not interested in pets anymore. Because of this, a large number of them ended up in shelters or on the street. The situation is similar when it comes to the holiday season, in which many people decide to give animals as gifts to their children, relatives, or friends, without understanding the responsibilities and obligations that come with them.
Generally, people who abandon their animals are aware of the fact that they are doing something wrong. They usually leave their pets in secret so no one can see them or witness them. In many countries of the world, abandoning pets is illegal, i.e. prohibited by law and punishable as such, which is another reason why irresponsible owners leave their pets in remote and hard-to-reach places, where no one can find them. In our country, the issue of abandoned animals continues to be one of the biggest problems. Despite the legal regulations, the prescribed obligations to chip pets, and the penalties prescribed for abandoning them, a large number of animals end up on the street every day and this problem is spreading to even greater proportions. The problem related to this issue is not eased by the lack of adequate housing facilities for such animals, which would provide all the necessary conditions for their protection and well-being. In recent years, as a result, an increasing number of illegal shelters and boarding houses for dogs and cats have appeared on the territory of our country, which are not registered and whose work is not regulated by existing legal acts and competent institutions.
The best way to solve the problem of abandoned animals is to prevent the problem. Before you decide to get a pet, be sure to ask about the ways in which you will need to care for it, because different breeds of animals often have completely different needs. Also, avoid buying pets rashly, especially if you want to give them as a present to a child or someone else, but only after you think through carefully and when you are fully aware of the responsibilities and obligations that having a pet means. If you decide to get a pet, be sure to follow the regulations and rules that are provided as such in our country, and also consider a more humane option, adopting an animal that does not have a home.
