The Ulster County SPCA is bracing for an uptick in requests by pet owners to surrender or rehome their animals as President Trump threatens to defy a court order and withhold SNAP benefits until a five-week government shutdown can be resolved.
“Sometimes it comes down to they just cannot keep the pet in their home,” said SPCA Executive Director Gina Carbonari. “Most of the folks that are surrendering are heartbroken. They don’t want to give up their pet.”
Financial uncertainty sparked by the political battle in Washington is yet another blow to Hudson Valley pet owners already under stress from surging housing costs. Shelters, meantime, say veterinary and supply costs have doubled just as they face stricter guidelines on everything from capacity limits to quarantine protocols and medical care from New York’s updated Standard of Care Act, which takes effect Dec. 15.
“We have a number of calls already saying, ‘I can’t keep my pet,’” Carbonari said. “Finances and housing are top reasons for surrenders.”
The Ulster SPCA fields as many as 15 phone calls a day from pet owners seeking to surrender animals.
“A lack of resources is a chronic issue for animal shelters,” she said. “They are understaffed and underfunded.”
While the priorities in previous years were ensuring that animals were properly housed and fed, “We understand now so much more needs to be done,” including veterinary care and enrichment, she said, and that requires more resources.
In response to such challenges, the SPCA is holding a pet supply drive from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15 at the Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties on Rt. 28 in Mt Tremper. Visitors can drop most-needed items, including wet and dry food, pee pads, kitty litter and cat and dog treats, in a bin at that location.
“There are a few things that are coming together to impact humans and many of those people have pets,” Carbonara said. “We want to make sure the animals in the homes get food in their bowl as well.”
Jim Rich is a senior reporter for The Overlook. You can reach him at jim@theoverlooknews.com.
