EAST SAINT LOUIS, Ill. — With the national eviction moratorium set to expire, nearly eight million pets will go into animal shelters nationwide.
Gateway Pet Guardians, an animal shelter in East St. Louis, said they are in urgent need of fosters to temporarily care for pets whose families have been displaced by residential evictions.
They estimate that almost 1,300 pets will need placement at their facility in the next 30 to 90 days.
"The mass of coming evictions will be catastrophic for families including pets,” Program Director Alisha Vianello said in a press release. "When people lose their homes, pets end up in the shelter so we need your help to care for them and keep them safe. We are asking those who have secure housing to please foster today."
This surge of animals is not the only challenge the shelter has seen this summer. The organization has already seen an increase in pet intake by over 70%.
Now, fostering is more important than ever at Gateway Pet Guardians and other shelters. It reduces shelter overcrowding, reduces the threat of euthanasia, and gives shelter pets a less stressful environment in which to thrive.
If you are interested in becoming a foster, visit gatewaypets.org/foster to learn more about the program and submit an application.
Another pet shelter CARE STL said it has admitted more than 20 homeless animals after their owners were evicted and it is calling on people to consider fostering them.
"The mass of coming evictions will be catastrophic for whole families, including pets," said CARE CEO Weng Horak. "When people lose their homes, pets end up in the shelter. We need your help to care for them and keep them safe. We are asking those who have secure housing to please sign up to foster."
CARE STL said it is especially in need of foster homes for 40 large dogs.
To view the pets available for adoption, click here. And to view the pets available for foster, click here.