Unhoused pets in the ICE age

To actually be witnessing the nation flirt with fascism was never on my bingo card, but here we are. ICE agents are raiding and the National Guard are rounding up untold numbers of people from all walks of life all over the DMV, operating under the false equivalent that “illegal” immigrants and unhoused people are the reason we have crime in Washington DC.

That notion is overly simplistic and inaccurate, and its enforcement has been cruel. Families are being upended and torn apart, and this instability impacts their pets, too. 

Rescues and shelters all throughout the DMV are seeing surges in animal surrenders. Maryland-based Knine Rescue was recently featured on WUSA channel 9 news, sharing the story of King – a great dog by any standard – whose family had to give him up because they could no longer afford to keep him, because ICE abducted the household’s main earner.

I first saw King’s story on Nextdoor, actually, and it was one of countless posts looking to rehome a pet. But what about those who don’t have homes or phones or the internet? The destruction of encampments and the rounding up of unhoused people are funneling even more pets into shelters, confused and afraid.

Things seem grim right now, but we’re not powerless. We can help our local shelters and rescues by donating money, volunteering to walk dogs or transport dogs to adoption events, you can foster short term or long term, and you can adopt!

Let’s keep showing up for these animals and each other.