Greenwich Animal Control sees number of homeless pets rise after 2020's pet-adoption peak – Greenwich Time

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Tank stands on the bed in his dog run at Greenwich Animal Control. He was one of two dogs available for adoption Tuesday, August 2, 2022.
Animal control officer Suzanne Ondreicka and kennel maintainer Bill Petersen play with Mia the cat from behind a glass window at Greenwich Animal Control Tuesday, August 2, 2022.
Young cats peer through their kennel Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at Greenwich Animal Control.
Animal control officer Suzanne Ondreicka feeds Tank a treat during a trip outside Tuesday, August 2, 2022.
A photo album shows off Greenwich Animal Control’s successful animal placements Tuesday, August 2, 2022.
GREENWICH — During COVID-19’s most overwhelming moments, many leaned on the companionship of their pets.
But with changing times, Greenwich Animal Control is experiencing, like many other shelters, an increase in the number of animals left as strays, according to experts.
Intakes are “starting to go back up. I think with COVID, there was less. Now as life is changing, whether it’s financial or a lot of different things, it’s starting to rise again,” said Suzanne Ondreicka, animal control officer in Greenwich.
Just as the pandemic has affected town operations in Town Hall and public schools, Greenwich Animal Control has been impacted by COVID-19. For months, the agency had fewer animals than normal, but its veteran employees now say they are starting to see operations normalize.
Data from the Shelter Animal Count’s national database confirms the trend is nationwide. From 2019 to 2020, shelters nationwide took in 22 percent fewer animals. In 2021, intakes increased 6 percent from the prior year but remained 17 percent lower than 2019’s intakes.
Private organizations are also welcoming more abandoned pets in Fairfield County, data show. An average of 16 dogs per month was brought into three rescues tracked by Shelter Animal Count in 2020. In 2022, the database counted an average of 40 intakes per month across two rescue organizations.
Adoptions were most frequent between June and December 2020 in Fairfield County, and decreased at the beginning of 2021 but have been increasing since late 2021, according to the database.
Greenwich Animal Control is the sole public animal adoption entity in Greenwich. At present, it has one dog and three cats posted online for adoption.
Animal control provides food to some owners who are struggling financially because it often receives donations of food.
Various private rescue organizations also take in homeless animals in the area.
Town kennel maintainer Bill Petersen said he has received calls from pet owners moving to a new state and not wanting to bring their dog. Others who have attempted to surrender their pet were facing economic hardships or struggling with landlords that didn’t accept their pets, he said.
While it doesn’t accept animals surrendered by their owners, Greenwich Animal Control does care for many dogs that have been dumped by their owners. Some were discovered tied to poles with dog food beside them, Ondreicka said. In a normal year, they take in 50-80 abandoned animals, she said.
She said she believes that Greenwich’s perceived wealth entices some people to drive into town to dump an animal. When animal control was previously located by Bruce Park, the area was a “hotspot” for abandoned dogs, she said.
Greenwich Animal Control wants prospective adopters to realize that it is not eager to release the animals in its care to just anyone.
“We’re not trying to get rid of them; we’re trying to find a proper home,” Petersen said. “People come, and they get mad that we won’t let them (adopt immediately). ‘Why can’t I take them now?’ Because there’s a process.”
Adopters must prove that they are allowed to have an animal in their home, whether by providing a landlord’s contact or showing proof of ownership. Animal control also calls the adopter’s veterinarian to ensure any current pets receive proper care.
Petersen said he likes to watch how people walk the dog they want to adopt and gives them pointers for training. He says he can usually spot a bad fit.
“We here are also the complaint department when there’s a problem with the dog,” Ondreicka said, referring to Animal Control’s job outside of adopting out stray pets.
Greenwich Animal Control responds to animal-related situations, such as biting incidents or animals disturbing neighbors. So, Ondreicka and Petersen said they try to ensure the animals are placed in homes that are best for their well-being.
Recently, Animal Control hosted a low-cost vaccine clinic to combat a trend noticed during the pandemic.
“Since COVID, we are seeing a lot animals that are not vaccinated,” Ondreicka said. “During the pandemic, a lot of people were getting animals because they wanted company. … The vets were trying to continue with their regular pets and now with all these additional new pets, people were having a hard time trying to get appointments to get vaccinated and stuff like that.”
During the clinic, 48 pets received their shots.
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