SA Pet Owners Face R50,000 Bill to Relocate Animals to US Under Trump Refugee Programme
- Relocating a pet to the US costs between R35,000 and R50,000, with no government support available to families departing under the US refugee programme
- Animal shelters in South Africa are reporting a surge in pet surrenders, with Woodrock Animal Rescue in Pretoria accepting seven dogs in a single week
- Rehoming organisations say families are given only days' notice before departure, leaving pets to be offloaded on social media or at SPCAs
Source: Getty Images
SOUTH AFRICA — Refugees departing South Africa for the US are dumping their pets at shelters, putting them on social media, or offloading them at SPCAs due to short notice and high costs. Jacqui Martheze, general manager of Pretoria’s Woodrock Animal Rescue, labelled the practice cruel after receiving over 20 calls in a few days from families abandoning three dogs and six cats at a time.
According to the Sunday Times, Woodrock took in seven dogs from refugees within a single week and expects more. Trix Stathakis of BarkingMad stated that proper rehoming takes a minimum of three weeks, forcing her platform to turn away between five and 20 US refugees every week. Chantelle Murray, director of Paws R Us, noted that short lead times create a crazy situation across national shelters.
High costs lead to pet abandonment
Refugees face an enormous financial burden, paying R35,000 to R50,000 per animal with zero government help. Additionally, a required 90-day wait in new US housing prevents immediate pet transfers.
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About 8,000 South Africans have left since May last year under President Donald Trump’s refugee programme for minority groups, including Afrikaners, Indians, and coloureds. About 500 to 1,000 applications were rejected. The annual quota recently doubled from 7,500 to 17,500. Although the US government covers initial flight costs, families must repay them in instalments, leaving them with few resources to relocate their animals.
Afrikaner in the US reunited with pet
In a related article, Briefly News reported on a South African couple who resettled in the US under the refugee program and their emotional reunion with two pet dogs after months apart. This touching moment has sparked a debate among South Africans regarding the logistics and costs of transporting pets internationally during such transitions.
Source: Briefly News
