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As Amy Creel walked around at Knine Rescue in Maryland on Friday afternoon, a familiar pack of dogs barked, whined and begged for her attention.
Kristen, a Scottish terrier mix with a pink collar, excitedly jumped into Creel’s arms. After petting her a few times, she put the young dog back on the floor. She launched into her arms again.
Creel, the rescue’s president, said Kristen is one of many surrendered dogs the shelter has welcomed in recent weeks. The rise in families giving up their dogs started when pet owners were detained or deported.
It continued because of the high cost of living, and it’s increased again because of the government shutdown, Creel said. She’s received five or six calls per day, which is high volume, she said.
The Brandywine SPCA she works with has had 200 surrenders since the government shutdown started, Creel said.
As the shutdown lingers, and the uncertainty continues, more families are finding themselves having to make a devastating decision.
“This is probably the worst it’s ever been,” Creel said. “I’ve been doing this for 10 years, and it’s the most surrenders we’ve ever seen.”
In some cases, Creel said people are having to move in with family members and can’t bring the pet into a new environment. In other instances, community members are searching for new sources of income, and find themselves with new part-time or seasonal jobs that would make it difficult to care for a dog.
“A lot of people are saying, ‘I need to surrender my dog. There’s too much uncertainty right now. I don’t know when I’m going to get paid again, and I just can’t provide for my dog right now,’” Creel said. “It’s so devastating, and people are so ashamed and upset and heartbroken.”
Some community members have asked Creel whether the rescue can take their dog for a few months while they figure out a path forward. It’s a tough ask, Creel said, because the facility doesn’t have the space or resources to do it.
“Unfortunately, if you’re struggling to put food on the table for your family, some people are saying, ‘I got to look at whether or not I can properly care for my dog,’” Creel said.
Outside the rescue space, there’s a growing pile of donated dog food. Many people, Creel said, are calling to ask how to support struggling pet owners.
This weekend at Sharp’s at Waterford Farm in Brookeville, Creel said the rescue is collecting food for anyone in need, and offering pet owners the opportunity to pick food up for free. The event’s scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
“We just want to ease the burden a tiny bit,” Creel said. “Everybody cares about dogs. Wherever you fall in this crazy world, everyone cares about dogs.”
At Knine Rescue, Creel said she has more dogs than she normally does. Surrenders, such as Kristen, are particularly heartbreaking.
“Surrenders are not strays,” Creel said. “These are dogs that have had a home. They’ve known a couch, a dog bed, love, outings with a family. They don’t know what’s happening, and sometimes, they will just sit at the door and look out. It’s like they’re waiting for their family to come back.”
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