So. Indiana Dog Has Waited 4 Years for a Home [12 Strays of Christmas]

Pet of the Week

All year round, I write a weekly article featuring an adoptable pet. My friend, who’s the director of our local humane society, recently shared some tough news—donations and adoptions are down, while pet surrenders are higher than ever.

It’s hard to say exactly why there’s been such an influx of unwanted pets, but those in the field point to rising vet costs, backyard breeding of designer pets, financial struggles, and the boom in pet adoptions during the COVID shutdowns that has now come full circle.

Animal Adoption Statistics

According to the ASPCA, about 6.5 million animals enter shelters every year. Only 2 million dogs and 2.1 million cats find homes out of those. Locally, our humane societies and animal control branches work tirelessly to get animals into homes or rescues, but there’s only so much space—especially at animal control facilities. With the overwhelming number of pets, heartbreaking decisions sometimes must be made.

The Lucky Dogs (and Cats)

There are, however, some lucky pets that get a second chance. Many live in foster homes, waiting patiently—sometimes for years—for their forever family.

This holiday season, I reached out to local organizations and asked for their longest residents to feature in my "12 Strays of Christmas." In the past, this project has led to incredible outcomes—longtime shelter residents finally finding their forever homes, even when it seemed impossible.

I Can't Adopt - Can I Still Help?

If you can’t adopt, that’s okay! You can still make a difference by sharing this post on your social media. Every share helps. Humane societies also desperately need fosters, donations, and supplies. If you want to help homeless animals but can’t take one home, donating is a wonderful way to support them.

Let’s work together to give these deserving pets the love and care they need.