CLEVELAND — At the Cleveland Animal Protective League, dogs, cats, and rabbits are just a few of the animals waiting to find their forever homes.
As the shelter is kept busy with animal intakes, they are hoping the number of adoptions can keep up.
"We certainly are getting much busier, certainly more demand for intake. However, we're having a little more trouble moving animals through," said Sharon Harvey, president and CEO of the Cleveland APL. "We need to make sure that our adoptions are keeping up pace with the number of animals that need to come in."
According to Harvey, it appears that numbers in the shelter are starting to normalize.
"In general, we certainly are seeing our trends return back to pre-pandemic normal," she said. "So while here at the APL we're not quite back to 2019 numbers yet for intake or adoptions, they are definitely heading in that direction, and this time of year is always busy for us."
Harvey said the summer months are always busy for shelters because animals are having litters, and there's a greater risk of animals getting loose due to more outdoor activity.
Greg Willey, executive director of Friendship Animal Protective League, said that even though shelters aren't getting in as many animals as they did pre-pandemic, it doesn't necessarily feel that way, especially when he said some shelters are still grappling with challenges like labor shortages.
Willey said that after a rush of people wanting to adopt animals earlier in the pandemic, we could currently be seeing the consequence.
"Shelters are actually seeing their animals stay for an increased length of time, so it's taking longer for animals coming into the shelter now to find a home," he said.
Additionally, Willey said that people who felt they were stuck at home during the pandemic may be more reluctant to adopt now, not wanting to have a new commitment or responsibility at home.
Both Harvey and Willey also said a factor that could be contributing to both more intakes as well as adoptions not keeping up has to do with money.
"I think it's clear that we can speculate that there are some decisions being driven by the fact that everything is more expensive now and people have economical concerns, and bringing a pet into your family or keeping a pet, there are economic concerns," Harvey said. "And people need to be able to afford to have a pet and provide the pet with proper care."
“It could be the economic stress that people are facing right now, you’re choosing not to add a pet to your life at this point," Willey said.
For families struggling to afford their pets, Harvey suggested reaching out to the local shelter, where there may be resources available to help pet owners.
Harvey and Willey both emphasized the importance of adopting pets, as well as fostering. Willey said doing so not only provides a new home for an animal, but also frees up more space for other animals who may need care.
"What I would say is that if you are thinking about getting a pet, make adoption the choice," Willey said. "Shelters are filled to the brim with animals and it is cost effective. You're getting an animal that's spayed and neutered, vaccinated, vetted, up to date on shots. You're getting an animal that has a lot of the care provided for at very minimal cost."
For those who aren't in a position to bring an animal into their life, both APLs also accept donations and volunteers.
At the end of the day, for Harvey, the mission is getting animals into their forever homes.
“Our real goal is to not only find new homes for the animals who come to us who have been surrendered but also try to keep pets with the families they love,” she said.
Every year NBC and Telemundo stations team up with animal shelters to get pets adopted. The "Clear the Shelters" initiative begins August 1 and runs through August 31. 3News is proud to be a part of this campaign. Last year, we helped more than 2,500 pets find "furever" homes. Both APLs have been a big part of "Clear the Shelters" with 3News.
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