No dogs allowed: Rescues struggle with influx of surrendered, abandoned pets

The nonprofit Bitter Root Humane Association was already at capacity for dogs earlier this week before a box of nine puppies was dropped off at their door. It was the third litter of puppies in two weeks. The note attached to the box said the owner had lost their housing and had nowhere to go. At the same time, the nonprofit Great Pyrenees Rescue of Montana, based in Hamilton, put out a fundraising appeal on GoFundMe due to an “unprecedented” number of dogs cared for in the past year. Both organizations say that a lack of housing and decreasingly available pet-friendly housing is a major contributor to the crowding.

“A lot of companies now are not allowing dogs, or especially any medium- to large-sized dogs,” BRHA Shelter Manager Tucker Chase said. “They just won't take the liability for rental companies anymore. So a lot of people are either moving and can't take them with them, or coming into the valley and their rental company won't let them have their dogs. So we're getting a lot of people in those situations that are coming in and turning in their animals.”

Carole McLaughlin, Great Pyrenees Rescue of Montana president, said it’s a nationwide problem.

“I get emails and messages all the time for people that are not wanting (to), but (are) having to give up a dog because they've lost their house,” she said. “One person had a house ready, they were ready to move in and the seller sold it to somebody else instead because they got a higher price. So these people had to give up their dog because they couldn't find a place that would take a renter with the dog, and that's real common. Divorces, deaths and family, everything like that. It just ends up affecting the dog, and it's very sad.”

The situation has left the groups struggling to come up with the necessary funds and space to care for the animals. Both organizations are currently in search of people to provide foster homes for dogs. They are also seeking donations to help with other costs associated with caring for the animals, from food to veterinary care.

“I know the last two months I have one just basically out of funds, just right down to the wire,” McLaughlin said. The GoFundMe came about as an effort “just to keep the doors open,” she said.

The group recently took in two litters of puppies found in a box in a remote area near the Nevada-Idaho border. One litter were pure-bred Great Pyrenees and the others were a Great Pyrenees mix. Caring for the puppies as well as the full-grown dogs caused a spike in the volunteer organization’s costs, even with the reduced rates they receive from local veterinarians and boarding facilities.

“They were the cutest little things, so cute,” McLaughlin said. “But when you get them that young, you have to keep them for a while and it and it adds up… it got up to $6,000 one month.”

The Bitter Root Humane Association is also feeling financial strain from the influx of dogs. Chase said a lot of people in the community are under the misconception that they are a county-funded shelter.

“We're a totally private organization. We rely completely on donations. We don't get any tax revenue. We don't get any of that stuff like other shelters do,” Chase said. “A lot of people just don't know that. They think that we're animal control and that we're a county or city funded shelter, and we're just not… if it weren't for our fundraisers, and donations and stuff like that, we wouldn't be here.”

Not only is the increasing number of dogs entering the shelter system a financial strain on the groups working to care for the canines, it takes a mental toll on the animals as well. Chase said he has four or five dogs that have been at the shelter for over a year.

“It's really, really hard on dogs, because they're basically getting put in an asylum,” he said. “No shelter is perfect, and there's no shelter that is good for long-term housing. We have enough of a volunteer force that all of our dogs are at least walked twice a day, and get out of the building twice a day. But dogs have a shelf life for their mental well-being and their emotional well-being. After a few months of being in a shelter — it's too noisy, too much barking. It's not a home, it's not where they need to be… you can tell they get depressed... it's like being in prison.”

To learn more about the Great Pyrenees Rescue of Montana or to see photos of dogs available for adoption, go to greatpyrrescuemt.rescuegroups.org. To donate to the Great Pyrenees Rescue of Montana’s GoFundMe, visit gofundme.com/f/great-pyrenees-rescue-of-montana-spring-fundraiser.

To learn more about the Bitter Root Humane Association or to see photos of adoptable pets, visit bitterroothumane.org.