Local animal shelter and pet owners feel impact of inflation

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center is seeing more people give up their pets but that shelter is already so full.

Devon Strief, Animal Service Officer for Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center said they can’t keep up with the pace of people surrendering their animals. In May 2022 they took in 51 dogs and so far this month they’ve already taken in 62.

“Knowing that we’re doing the best that we can for them and we’re caring for them and they’re safe but knowing that there’s more that we can do but can’t,” said Strief “I can’t find a home for them with the resources and the way that it is right now.”

Chris Whitmore, Coordinator for the shelter knows how much it costs to take care of an animal. Whitmore currently has 12 dogs and the price of food alone has nearly doubled in the past year. One thing she’s had to work on is budgeting.

“Well obviously you have to think about where the money is going to come from. You take money from other things that you normally like to purchase and then that money goes into the dogs instead of yourself but my dogs are part of my family,” said Whitmore.

The shelter is also dealing with high costs. They are currently getting fewer donations for food and have to spend more money. Last year they were spending more than 60 dollars per bag and now they’re spending more than 80.

“It’s hard, people shouldn’t have to decide between feeding their kids, feeding themselves, feeding their animals. Everybody deserves the right to be loved and love an animal and share that with the animal and the fact that they can’t do that,” said Strief

The shelter reiterates that if someone can’t adopt an animal they do have a foster program. They say that’s a stepping stone for their animals.

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