Several animal welfare shelters have reported a surge in South African refugees surrendering their pets before departing for the US.
The troubling report comes amid news that the US State Department has significantly increased the intake of applicants in the current fiscal year.
The resettlement programme is open to racial minorities who believe that they are victims of “racial persecution”.
REFUGEES ‘DUMPING’ PETS, SAYS ANIMAL SHELTER
While refugees are resettling in their new homes in the US, their pets have been left abandoned, according to reports of several animal shelters.
A general manager at the Woodrock Animal Rescue in Pretoria told TimesLive: “I have received at least 20 calls in the past few days – ‘We got our tickets yesterday, and we’re leaving on Tuesday and need to give up our three dogs and six cats.’ That sort of thing. It’s cruel.
“I argue with them and tell them, ‘But you applied for this programme; you knew this was going to happen, why did you wait?’ And they tell me things like they didn’t want to upset their children, who are already going through an upheaval”
The animal shelter is one of several that spoke to the publication about pets that had been abandoned by South Africans who had been granted refugee status.
‘PLAN AHEAD’
In a video posted on their Facebook account, Woodrock Animal Rescue urged individuals who were relocating, particularly under the refugee programme, to be responsible and considerate of their pets that would be left behind.
For many, relocating their animals abroad is a pricey endeavour that can cost thousands of US dollars.
The organisation’s Jacqui Martheze said: “Make sure that the animals who are your family, who have committed their lives to you, come first.
“Make sure that you sort them out before you find your new home or book your tickets”
The shelter addd: “If you are planning to move overseas, your dogs and cats need to be part of that plan from day one.
“Leaving them behind as an afterthought breaks their hearts and completely overwhelms our facilities. Please, plan ahead for your animals. They depend on you”.
