'Heartbreaking': Elderly people being forced to give up pets to allow carers work in homes
From To Being With Various Inundated And Reasons, Including Acmodation Surrendered Returning Shelters Pets For Work Rental Are Bans
Elderly people are being forced to give up their pets because their carers don’t want them in the house when they are there, an inspector with the SPCA has said.
It comes as animal shelters all over the country are inundated with pets being surrendered for various reasons, including bans from rental accommodation and returning to work.
However, Fiona Squibb with Louth SPCA said she has seen a rise in “heartbreaking” cases of elderly people, or those living alone, having to give up their pet, at a carer’s request.
She said: “Sometimes the carer doesn’t want a pet there. It could be a fear of dogs or an allergy, but I’ve seen it happening more and more.
“It is going on a while now; you have people with a mental illness who are surviving living rough because of the love of their animals — that’s how much their pet means to them.
“An animal is sometimes the only thing that someone has, it is just heartbreaking, I had one woman who loved her cat and when the carers came in, it had to go.
“There are people that only have visitors for 15 minutes a day, they have a cup of tea and a biscuit, and their visitor is gone and all they have is their cat or dog, or pet bird."
“It is part of an overall problem” she continued. “We are seeing animals being dumped all over the place, there is not enough concessions there to help people keep their pet.
Ms Squibb said she would like the Department of Agriculture to help set up organisations where volunteers could support the elderly by walking their dogs.
“We really need new ways to help alleviate the problem of surrendering animals because they are like family to some.”