MAINTENANCE. “People can no longer afford to take care of their pets”, warns an association
Based in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), the association “A future for them” recorded a record number of abandonment of pets in 2022. The association has identified the reasons which lead owners to separate from their little beasts. At the top: inflation and the cost of living.
Created in 2013, the association “A future for them” collects cats and dogs of all ages in Toulouse every year. When they arrive, they have one thing in common: they all belong or have belonged to people who reconsider their decision. And every year for nearly ten years, the same story has been repeated within the association.
“We don’t have a shelter, we just have foster families with whom we can place the animals until they are adopted. And every year we have to refuse treatment. ‘Cause you can never save everyone“, explains Laetitia Martin, president of the associative structure. “A future for them” currently has around fifteen volunteers, three of whom are very active. Its president takes stock of a year 2022 marked by the growing number of abandoned pets.
France 3 Occitanie: You say that the past year broke all records. How many animals have been recovered by your association?
Laetitia Martin: The figure is not entirely precise, but overall we recorded around 500 abandonments for the year 2022 alone. I do not count the animals that we had to refuse. Either because of a lack of space in our host families or because there was a behavioral problem such as a fearful cat or an aggressive dog and we are not able to take care of it.
France 3 Occitanie: What happens to the animals you cannot take care of?
ML: Fortunately, in Toulouse, there are many specialized structures that can accommodate animals that people abandon. But I know that they are also completely overwhelmed. Often we exchange with other associations that are in Toulouse when we ourselves can no longer accommodate animals. And they tell us that they are already saturated. Ditto for host families. In short, this year has been very complicated.
A difficult economic situation leads to the abandonment of an animal.
Laetitia Martin, president of the association “A future for them”
France 3 Occitanie: What are the reasons that lead pet owners to part with them?
ML: Dropouts have always been there. Often, on a case of departures on vacation during the summer. We are still suffering the full force of the “Covid effect”. During the confinements, we had a whole wave of people who took a dog when they needed to go for a walk. Since then, they have realized that they can no longer take care of it. And then, with the pandemics, there have also been a lot of separations and sometimes no one wants to keep the animal after the breakup.
France 3 Occitanie: in addition to the health crisis, you say that inflation is also one of the reasons that lead people to abandon their pets…
ML : Absolutely. A difficult economic situation pushes the abandonment of an animal, it is very clear. And I know that’s the case right now because that’s what we’re being told more and more. We see people arriving who tell us that they can no longer afford to take care of their pets because of the cost of living. Everything has increased, everything is expensive. Starting with the price of kibble, which has increased enormously.
During the confinements, we had a whole wave of people who took a dog when they needed to go for a walk.
Laetitia Martin, president of the association “A future for them”
France 3 Occitanie: Do you ever help these people?
ML: Upon encountering very critical situations. And we do what we can when we know the situation very well. For example, on a person who adopted a cat from us last spring. In the meantime, this person lost his job, it was in October. Or, this cat needed corneal surgery that she was unable to afford on her own. We decided to launch an online kitty to help her without her asking us for anything. But we can’t do it every time…