“They can’t tell where they come from. But so many animals in such a short time, I’ve never experienced that.” Immy Kloet of the Amersfoort Animal Protection Center has been in the business for nine years, but the large influx is even a first for her. And not one to cheer about.
Of the 214 animals brought into the shelter since July 1, 151 were found on the street. Among those foundlings were wild animals such as hedgehogs and squirrels, but also many kittens and older cats. And so rabbits. Three dogs were also found on the street, which have not yet been picked up by their owners.
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Among the 214 newly introduced animals that the shelter had to take care of in the past three weeks, were no fewer than 60 rabbits.
Kloet: “These are animals of which people do not always know how much care they actually need. When they are still young, the sex is also difficult to determine. If you accidentally have a male and a female together in a cage, it is the female will be pregnant within six months. And then again very quickly. Then you have fourteen rabbits.”
Birds of prey food
She continues: “People often think that rabbits survive on the street, but that is absolutely not true. The wild instinct has been completely bred out. Moreover, domestic rabbits do not have wild colors, but are black and white, for example. They are very easy prey. for birds of prey.”
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They also see rabbits remarkably many these days at De Wissel Animal Shelter in Leeuwarden, says Esther Bouter. On July 22, 2021, there were nine rabbits in the shelter, today there are seventeen. “We hear that everywhere now. At the beginning of this month, we even took over rabbits from a rodent center in Leiden, because they were so high there.”
Bouter can’t and won’t say too firmly that these are animals that had to go because they don’t fit into their owners’ holiday plans. What is certain is that it has been quite busy in the shelter since mid-June. Another comparison: last year on this date there were 52 cats in De Wissel, now 99. “Maybe the owner doesn’t know where to look for a runaway pet? Or was the animal dumped on the street? The former is less likely.”
Too expensive?
She is silent for a moment, and then continues: “And what I also wonder: could it be that some people just can’t afford it anymore? The costs for a vet, for example, continue to rise.”
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Whether it also plays a role that there are hardly any corona measures this holiday and people suddenly find themselves in the stomach with that pet purchased in corona time? Very difficult to demonstrate. But in the pension that De Wissel also has, they certainly notice that the Netherlands is going on holiday again en masse. “It’s really packed now, yes.” But luckily with animals for which the owners neatly arrange something, before they get into the car or the plane themselves.
Also in Amersfoort there is a guest house next to the shelter and that is also completely full. Host families meanwhile help with the care of the kittens that arrive at the shelter. Immy Kloet: “There they can socialize, learn to deal with people and other animals. And they get a lot of attention.”
Who helps?
And with this peak crowds, that is extra good: “If we had to take care of all the animals that come in now in our building, we would really have a problem.”
However, there is still a great need for volunteers who can come and help for part of a day in the coming weeks. That was one of the reasons for drawing attention to the large amount of shelter animals in a facebook post, complete with cute kitten photo.
But, Kloet adds: “I also hope that people who read this will think again. If you get a pet, what are you going to do with it during your holiday? They are living creatures, you don’t just get rid of them.”
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