Chicago's overcrowded shelter is forced to euthanize more animals

Driving the news: Chicago Animal Care and Control's intake of dogs and cats was up almost 8% in the first half of 2023, totaling roughly 7,700, compared with about 7,160 during the same period last year.

• Meanwhile, more than 450 dogs and cats have been euthanized or died in care than at this time last year, per CACC data spanning Jan. 1 to Aug. 22 in 2022 and 2023.
• That means about 25% of the cats and dogs CACC has taken in this year have died, up from 20% during the same period in 2022.

By the numbers: CACC is on track to surpass its highest intake total in the last five years, as well as the highest numbers of dogs and cats dying at the shelter.

• More than 2,500 dogs and cats died at the shelter last year, the most since 2018.

Context: CACC is mandated by city ordinance to take in strays, and it often takes in owner-surrendered animals to care for them or find them new homes.

What they're saying: Intake is up partly because spay and neuter services were paused during the pandemic, hence the dog and cat population grew, department spokesperson Armando Tejeda tells Axios. CACC has taken in 730 more strays than it had by this time last year.

• Each day, CACC has to decide how to make space when more animals are coming in than going out.
• "So at the end of the day, let's say there's 15 more dogs than there are cages, we do have to go through and evaluate which dogs have been here the longest, which dogs are not doing well here," Tejeda says.

The big picture: Animal intakes at public and private shelters nationwide are expected to reach a three-year high in 2023, and animals leaving shelters through adoption or returns to owners are not keeping pace, according to the Shelter Animals Count (SAC) database.

• About 51,000 dogs were euthanized from January to July 2023, a 37% increase from that same period in 2022, according to data submitted by organizations that report to SAC.

Between the lines: Housing and economic strain are driving more people to relinquish their pets, Stephanie Filer from SAC tells Axios.

• Filer particularly noted a squeeze on renters, given that many landlords require pet fees, adding to the costs of owning an animal.
• Plus, once counties lifted their pandemic eviction moratorium, some pet owners faced housing insecurity.

The intrigue: The narrative that people brought home pets during early pandemic restrictions, then lost interest and returned the animals, is unfair and incorrect, Filer notes.

• "We're seeing people that are just like us, that their pets are a part of their family … and they have two dogs and they can only take one to their apartment," she says.

Of note: Last September, CACC launched a "diversion" program that helps connect pet owners with resources that they may not be able to afford, such as veterinary care, food or behavioral services, to prevent animal relinquishment.

• "Sometimes we find out … they're two weeks away from a paycheck, they don't have enough food for the dog, they have to choose between feeding themselves or a dog so we're giving them donated food," Tejeda says.

How to help: Many Chicago shelters that offer fostering and adoptions often waive fees. Check out the pets in need of homes at CACC, PAWS Chicago, One Tail at a Time, Border Tails Rescue and Alive Rescue.

• "The popular dogs that people are looking for at breeders are in shelters," Filer adds.