My cell phone rings and someone on the other side is telling me his story: –A friend asked me to take care of his dog for a few days. This was months ago. Since then I tried to contact him but he blocked me. I can’t continue to have it, what can I do?
Then I get another call: -I have a dog and would like to adopt him at a local shelter. I can’t help it anymore. Can you help me?
I turn it off and my cell phone rings again. Some children found an abandoned dog: -He was hungry and very scared. Where can we take him-.
These are just three real examples of the dozens of calls I get every day. This is not a coincidence, nor is it an exaggeration. My phone appears on numerous portals dedicated to animal protection that exist on the Internet. Therefore, over time, it has become a very reliable thermometer of the state of abandonment in our country.
To begin with, we can say that in 2022 abandonment is clearly increasing. After a few quiet years, I still get notifications every day about many abandoned animals or people asking me to feed a dog or cat that has moved home or city for economic reasons. . It is clear that the situation is getting worse before we reach the high levels of abandonment that existed before the pandemic.
But interestingly, another phenomenon also occurred. Language has changed. Those who want to leave their animal in the shelter no longer talk about abandoning it, they often use the phrase “put it up for adoption”. Obviously, this is a euphemism. Anyway, it’s about getting rid of it. However, it reflects a social change. Abandoning an animal is considered a nuisance that plagues you while you are alive, and no one wants that. Maybe it’s the first step towards zero abandonment.