Be realistic before getting a pet

NEW YORK — The middle-aged woman had brought a friend with her to the animal shelter for moral support. They sat together on a bench, soft-spoken and red-eyed.

Clay, a strapping 9-month-old black lab mix, lay panting at their feet, lunging to his tiptoes with high-pitched barks when another dog walked into the lobby.

“I just don’t know what to do with him,” his owner told Mike Rueb, the longtime trainer and associate director of adoptions and resident care at Bideawee, a 112-year-old no-kill shelter in Manhattan. “He’s just too much for me to handle.”

Each year, approximately 7.6 million animals end up in a shelter, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Nearly 3 million of them are euthanized.

Most municipal shelters are so-called “kill” shelters, meaning that when they need to make room for new arrivals, they put down otherwise healthy animals. No-kill shelters like Bideawee offer an alternative for animals whose owners cannot care for them. They typically treat sick, injured or older animals to ready them for a new home.

But it’s not just behavioral issues that force pets from their “forever” homes. Housing or financial considerations are the other main reasons why animals are abandoned or surrendered to shelters, says Cory Smith, director of public policy for the Companion Animals Department at the Humane Society of the United States.

The Humane Society works with local groups to provide services and resources to pet owners who feel forced to give up an animal due to a move, landlord conflict or veterinary costs.

“Owners need to be encouraged to work through tough times rather than discouraged into relinquishment or re-homing their pet,” Smith says. “Local organizations can often offer assistance in big and small ways — for example, taking in someone’s pet temporarily and then giving them back if that is what is needed to alleviate some of the pressure, or just connecting pet owners to other community resources they may not have known about.”

For Rueb, the No. 1 thing people can do when they adopt a pet is to have realistic expectations. That means understanding not only expenses and unexpected twists like a move or unknown allergy, but also being prepared for an animal’s energy level, and the amount of time and resources the owner will need to commit to ensure their pet’s mental health and well-being.

Clay, the black lab mix, has been at Bideawee since October. Staff work with him daily, socializing him with animals and keeping him engaged. He’s making progress, and Rueb and the staff know that there’s someone with the time and love to bring him home.