TACOMA, Wash. — The cost of surrendering a pet at local shelters has increased.
Fees range from $30, as posted on the Seattle Humane webpage, to $400, which was posted on the Tacoma Humane Society webpage.
These fees are intended to cover medical and shelter care costs, but they have become a barrier for some pet owners who need to surrender their animals.
The Tacoma Humane Society, raised its surrender fee from $70 to $400 this summer, and offer fee reductions based on criteria such as whether the animal has been spayed or neutered.
“We don’t want to put up a barrier,” said Lauren Green of Tacoma & Pierce Co. Humane Society. “I know that that number can be scary, especially when it was so much lower before, because it was kind of subsidized by our animal control contracts with certain municipalities.”
“When you keep putting roadblocks up, then people make bad decisions,” said Joe Parrington, who runs the All for Meow Cat Sanctuary.
Joe Parrington calls himself the Catman. He has been feeding stray cats around Tacoma for six years.
Parrington’s efforts include spaying and neutering the cats and then either taking them to rescues or returning them to their colonies.
This is necessary because local shelters are overwhelmed, especially with animals rescued from abusive situations.
The Tacoma Humane Society emphasizes the importance of maintaining space for animals with no other options, which is why they encourage finding alternative solutions for pets that can be rehomed.
The rising costs of surrendering pets are prompting individuals like Parrington to find alternative solutions for caring for stray animals, highlighting the challenges faced by local shelters in managing their capacity.
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