Local rescue sees major decline in pet fosters, adoptions after pandemic peak

A local animal rescue is in desperate need of help when it comes to adopting and fostering dogs.

In the past year, Secondhand Hounds rescued and adopted out more dogs than ever before, but now the demand for pets is declining quickly and it’s hurting its ability to save more lives.

“One of the great things about the pandemic, one of the silver linings is that everybody was home so everybody wanted to foster or adopt a dog or a cat,” said Rachel Mairose, founder and executive director of Secondhand Hounds.

In the height of the pandemic, the nonprofit was rescuing dogs from across the Midwest and South, adopting out as many as 100 dogs a week. But now, they are lucky in they find homes for 20-30 dogs in a week. That prevents them from taking in more pets in need of rescue.

"Now we are seeing the opposite, kind of the yo-yo effect,” Mairose said. "People are starting to live their lives again. They’re traveling, they’re going back to work, so they don’t have the time to commit to fostering or adopting.”

Right now, Secondhand Hounds has more than 200 dogs in need of rescue but the organization can’t take them in because it doesn’t have enough people willing to foster. Mairose said it’s not as big of a commitment as people may think. Often puppies only need a foster home for two or three weeks, and all supplies, food and veterinary care are paid for.

"Shelters are more full than ever, and they’re having to make hard decisions and having to euthanize a lot of happy, healthy, really great family pets, and that breaks their heart and obviously breaks ours as well,” she said.

You can find more information on how you can foster or adopt on Secondhand Hounds’ website.