MANATEE COUNTY (WSNN) – People aren’t the only ones getting affected by this increase in COVID cases, animals may be too.
Rowlie, the puppy with a tube in her nose, is one of the many medical cases that Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue has received in the past few weeks. Staff says they’re seeing an overwhelming number of requests for help on the Suncoast.
“People have exhausted a lot of their savings and their resources over the past year and they are unable to handle or afford an unexpected large expense,” Mayer said.
Mayer adds it’s not the people who bought a COVID puppy when quarantining first began last year.
“It’s people that have had their pets for seven or eight years,” Mayer said. “And their pets are senior animals now and it has medical needs that they can’t afford at the moment.”
The no-kill rescue shelter usually receives about 2200 animals a year, but with a staff of nine and only so many volunteers, the significant increase in orphans and surrender animals is stretching them thin.
“It makes it hard for us at the shelter because it’s extremely expensive to care for animals with medical conditions,” Mayer said. “They require not only medical supplies and medical attention and diagnostics, but a lot more staff time.”
But, it’s not only affecting this rescue shelter, Manatee County Animal Services is feeling overwhelmed too.
“Right now, we have about 150 cats and kittens and about 100 dogs, and that is just way past our capacity,” Outreach & Event Specialist with Manatee County Animal Services, Hans Wohlgefahrt said.
While it’s common to get a lot of cats and dogs during the summer, it’s different this year.
“I think there might be some sort of connection with financial struggling that people are facing still from the pandemic,” Wohlgefahrt said.
The county has a 95-percent save rate for animals. Manatee County Animals Services took the injured puppy, Rowlie, to Nate’s Honor rescue, Monday night.
“We all have the same agenda to help any animal we can,” Wohlgefahrt said. “So, honor came through for us, took the puppy. It looks like it’s doing well, and we really hope the best for it and we want to thank honor for that.”
If you want to help, you can donate or drop off supplies. Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue needs canned kitten food, canned puppy food, and puppy pads. They have a donation bin at the front of the property and an Amazon wish list.
