There are thousands of animals who are given up every year. Sometimes people lose their jobs and can no longer afford to take care of their pets or have to move and cannot take their pets with them. Other times people experience life-changing events, such as a divorce or new baby, and have to surrender their furry friends. As more and more shelters become "no-kill" or "limited access," people have no other choice than to surrender their pets to an open-door shelter, who will never turn away a pet in need.
Because of the stigma that open-door shelters have, many people choose to make donations to limited access shelters, when, in-fact, it’s the open-door shelters who need the money the most. The Western PA Humane Society helps over 13,000 animals each and every year—which is a lot of mouths to feed and medications to administer.