10/13/2025
Animal shelters across the country are in crisis.
As the cost of living and pet care rises, more families are being forced to make heartbreaking decisions. An estimated 5.8 million animals entered shelters last year, according to Shelter Animals Count’s national database.
Many pets are being surrendered not because their families want to—but because they can no longer afford to keep them.
Shelters everywhere are feeling the strain:
🐾 Intake is outpacing adoptions
🐾 Veterinary costs are up more than 40% since 2019
🐾 1 in 8 Americans have surrendered a pet due to cost
Here at EASEL Animal Rescue League, we’re seeing this firsthand.
🐕 Stray intakes have increased
🐈 Adoptions—especially of medium and large dogs—are down
💔 Our surrender list grows daily with animals we don’t yet have space to help
Our small but mighty team of staff and volunteers is working overtime to care for the animals depending on us—but we can’t do it alone.
We need adopters, fosters, volunteers, and donors to keep saving lives.
👉 Adopt a cat: www.easelnj.org/application-cat/
👉 Adopt a dog: www.easelnj.org/application-dog/
👉 Volunteer: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdPBTXe__e-1YMQW1JfwLW6SPsx_XhTiaC7AXoGcbcJ74RpCA/viewform
👉 Donate: https://easelnj.dojiggy.io/donations
💜 Venmo: -RescueLeague
Even small actions make a big difference. Together, we can help more families stay whole—and give more animals a second chance.
