Summer, Vacation, and… Abandoned Pets?
Every year, when the sun starts blazing and people head off for their well-deserved vacations, something heartbreaking happens. Over 10,000 dogs, cats, and other pets in Croatia are abandoned! Yes, you read that right — ten thousand! But wait, there are even stranger cases that will leave you speechless.
Imagine this: two adult male guinea pigs, left in a cardboard box outside the Emergency Room of the Clinical Hospital Dubrava. Yes, really! People probably left them because they were going on vacation and didn’t want to care for them. Luckily, the emergency staff acted quickly, transported them to the Zagreb Zoo, where vets confirmed they were in good health despite the stressful situation.
Why is this happening?
The Dumovec Shelter is urging all pet owners not to abandon their pets. Pets are not toys to be discarded when they become a burden. Unfortunately, many people take pets as temporary fun or gifts, and when summer and vacation come, they simply dump them.
The Animal Friends Association has been running the campaign “Family, Sea, Dog, Street?” for 23 years, yet the number of abandoned animals keeps rising. People, pets are family members, not seasonal props!
What can we do?
If you want to help, you can contact udomljavanje@dumovec.hr to adopt these poor guinea pigs and other animals waiting for a new chance at happiness.
Don’t be part of the problem — be part of the solution! And if you’ve ever thought about abandoning a pet because of vacation, remember these guinea pigs and ask yourself: is that really humane?
Now that you’ve read this, drop a comment — have you ever seen something this crazy? Or maybe you have your own story about an abandoned pet? Share it, so we can all laugh or cry together, but never stay indifferent.
Because if not us, then who? If not now, then when?
Guinea pigs are not trash!
