– We have 26 departments and several of these report that they are at a breaking point. We struggle to take care of all the animals that have been dumped, says leader of Animal Protection Norway, Åshild Roaldset. Sales of pets increased during the pandemic. Even then, the organization was concerned that animals would be abandoned when society reopened. Roaldset explains that in July 2022, more than 9,000 stray animals have been reported missing throughout the country. One third of these animals have been found but not reunited with the owner. – 90 percent of the animals we help are cats, we help as many animals we have capacity for, but there are large dark numbers. Provoked and irritated At Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge Tromsø (DBT), the situation is so critical that they are empty of foster homes. – We notice very well that it is summer and I think we notice the so-called corona animals. It has not been a big problem before, but now before the summer we see that there are many who have animals they can no longer take care of, says chairman of the board of DBT, Therese Rye. The combination of homes that want to get rid of their animals and 21 sick cats they have brought in from Finnmark means that the capacity has been blown. – We know that there are extremely many who have had animals in the corona period. Some of them probably should not have had it, says Rye. The animal welfare organization can receive up to three requests daily from families who want to get rid of their animals. Rye explains that the large influx is due to various reasons. Some because people move or have become allergic. One of two foster cats that are taken care of by Dina Lindberg. At the moment they are scared and nervous, but Lindberg is working to get them ready for adoption. Photo: Private – Someone is completely honest that they have got animals and have not thought about animal care during the holidays. They say they have no one to look after the cat when they go away, says Rye. And adds: – We get quite provoked and annoyed. I think it’s incredibly special that adults get an animal and do not think more than half a year ahead. She encourages pet owners to be responsible and not think that the holiday is most important. – Getting an animal is not something you should do on impulse, it should be well thought out and planned, she says. Take care of your pet and try to find solutions. Summer with sick cats Dina Lindberg (21) spends part of the summer holiday being a foster home for two sick cats. – I have had them since the end of May and will have them until they are ready to be adopted. Then it’s just a matter of socializing them and making them trust people, she says. At the same time as she is a foster home, Lindberg is also a volunteer at DBT. – Everyone who is a foster home automatically becomes a little voluntary. I have a car so I can drive a little, I also take phone guards, she says. Dina Lindberg (21) works both voluntarily at Dyrebeskyttelsen Tromsø and is a foster home. At home she has two cats. Photo: Elena Berg Hansen / news With two sick cats, Lindberg can still take a three-week holiday this summer. – The nice thing about being a foster home is that Dyrebeskyttelsen helps to find a passport for the animals. We who are volunteers and foster homes help each other. Despite the lack of foster homes, she encourages contacting an organization if you plan to leave your cat. – Do not let the cat out, do not make it a wild cat. I think we do not always have as much time to take care of the cats, but it is always worth a try. It is better than resorting to solutions that are not good for the animal. Increasing numbers all over Norway On the website Dyrebar you can register animals that have been lost and found. Figures taken from the website show that throughout Norway there has been an increase in animals registered found between 2021 and 2022. Portal manager at Dyrebar, Anders Brochmann, says there has been an explosive increase in traffic on the website in recent years. He encourages you to report pets found on the website. Anders Brochmann is Portal Manager at Dyrebar.no. He believes it is important to register animals that have been lost and found. Photo: Private – The commitment for stray pets is very large, so there are hundreds of volunteers linked to our website, he says. He believes there will be an increase in animals found this summer.
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lacks foster homes for abandoned livestock – news Troms and Finnmark
