Juarez City.- Community rescuers reported that dog adoptions have decreased so far this year, 2023, and the lack of financial resources and people’s lack of interest in mixed-breed dogs are the main causes.
“I think that people are afraid of the economic expense of a dog, due to the economic situation in which we are, having a pet is a very strong commitment due to vaccinations, sterilizations; I estimate that it is at least an initial cost of 1,500 pesos,” said Guadalupe Zárate, from the Patitas Callejeras temporary home.
For 10 years, Guadalupe Grado, from the Patitas Mojadas rescue group, has rescued dogs to later give them up for adoption, and pointed out that this year has been very difficult, since she has only managed to find a home for three “loins” and they are still looking for a family for 85 plus.
“Adoptions have been very slow, almost always, but today more than ever, in the shelters we have Creole dogs and now people are looking for purebred dogs,” he mentioned.
He pointed out that the dogs arrive at his shelter in a state of malnutrition, sick and afraid of the situation they experienced in the streets.
“Sometimes it is the enthusiasm (of adopting a dog), but you see the reality, that they need to go to the vet, care, food, many times they do not have patience because it takes a month to adapt to a new home, and they do not have patience and They return them to me,” he said.
Ana Félix, also a rescuer, explained that this year they started it with an average of 8 to 10 adoptions, but this month of May has been ‘lazy’, since their shelter has focused on fundraising and croquettes.
He explained that there are some cases in which the dogs are returned to the shelters, either because they failed to adapt to their new home or because the owners could not handle the responsibility, although there are also other situations in which they are once again forgotten on the streets.
“There are people who throw them out onto the street, fortunately some keep their identification tag, and there are others who got lost and I no longer heard from them, at least they are sterilized and vaccinated,” said Félix.
He added that during the holiday season is when the number of adoptions increases, although they must be very rigorous, since most people are looking for a dog or cat to give away, especially at Christmas time.
“It almost always occurs in the holiday season, on dates where people want to have a gift because they see them as objects, then we have to be tactful to see what the family’s intention is to adopt,” he concluded.
