The Hidden Holiday Crisis Shelters Face Every Year

By: Sheila Zapata, Social Media Intern and Deniza Marcinkevica, Manager, Business Development, Skytails.com

Now, when the holidays are over, let's talk about the shelter's hidden holiday crisis. The holidays are supposed to be a time for relaxation and joy, but not everyone has the same experience. Pet shelters face a lot of difficulties regularly, and during the holidays, it gets even worse and becomes more visible. There are many reasons why these shelters have worse times during the holidays, and this article will explain what those struggles are. 

A major struggle that shelters face is overpopulation. Pets are used as gifts during Christmas, and some people do not have the proper resources or lifestyle to take care of an animal, so they take them to shelters. Shelters have very few resources to begin with, so taking in more pets in a very short amount of time would not benefit them. The staff who have to deal with this are at risk of being overworked, which can cause stress and burnout. In addition to the staff, a lot of shelters have volunteers who would take their time back because they see how bad the capacity is with animals. This causes shelters to lose a lot of support. 

There is also the topic of finances. Christmas and New Year's have the most sales in stores, and people want to shop for their families and for themselves during this sale. Shelters are the last things on their minds, and there isn’t much donating going to them. The donations that are given to shelters are usually very limited, and they go to specific campaigns that don’t directly affect shelters, or they are not enough for them to sustain all the animals they have. This leaves shelters with few resources to cover everyday expenses with animals, building costs, and staff.  

We are aware that the animals are the main ones that struggle the most during this time. Besides the lack of resources they have to live a comfortable life, the holidays give an additional struggle to their lives in the shelters. Animals can develop stress and anxiety during the holiday season because of fireworks during the New Year's and families coming in to see the animals, which could lead to pets escaping and getting lost from the shelters. This could also cause unusual developments in the animals' behaviors that could delay the adoption process for them or make them violent towards other pets. 

Conclusion

The holidays for shelters are more difficult than people think. They have to deal with a shortage of donates because of holiday sales, overpopulation when pets are being given up by unprepared owners, and the effects of holiday celebrations that can affect the behavior of pets. Ultimately, this affects the animals more than anyone else. 

SkyTails Connection

For those who want to adopt, SkyTails can assist you with the needs that animals need to have a happy and comfortable life, without the stress of finding out if you can afford it or not. SkyTails wants to make sure that you and your new pet are as happy as can be, and want your holidays to be special.    

#skytails #petcare #pethealth #animalshelters #animalsupport