This is what the Humane Society of Victoria is worried about.

All those pandemic pets, the COVID companions that those who stayed at home bought last year? The tide has reversed, and some people are coming back in.

Worse, there is no place to put them—or, at least, no place to put them out of alignment.

This is why this non-profit organization is looking for a benefactor who has free space to raise hounds. If this sounds like a vision, it just reflects the pressure they are in.

The story goes back to 2020, when people who usually work in downtown offices or snowball fights in Arizona find themselves craving furry friends. The problem is that demand is in short supply, just like toilet paper and hand sanitizer that spring.

This is real.

In Vancouver, BC SPCA submitted 200 applications for a puppy.

The backyard keepers charge thousands of dollars. Australian shelters charge up to $1,800 in adoption fees.

"Fear of dog smuggling, because the price of blocked puppies has risen by 89%," a British Sky News report warned.

To make matters worse, organizations such as the Humane Society discovered that the pet pipeline had been closed. The remote BC community that once sent cats and dogs to Vancouver Island was self-isolating, with no people going in or out, and no animals out.

However, even when trying to solve the shortage of dogs last year, society wants to know what will happen when the world opens up again.

Sure enough, the organization is now overwhelmed by people who want to hand over their pets. "We now have more than 100 dogs and puppies in care," said executive director Penny Stone. There are nearly 200 cats and kittens.

The people who raise them have reached the limit, so society has to refuse the owners who want to hand over the animals. "This is the first time we have to say'no' and accept the waiting list," Stone said.

The problem is that pets are not necessarily handed over for expected reasons. Yes, some owners are abandoning dogs that are no longer suitable for their lives after returning to the office.

Yes, some people simply can't afford them (like in the 2008 crisis, SPCA staff would find a dog tied to a railing and a box of kittens on the steps).

However, more animals are being overwhelmed by the pressure of the pandemic.

"It's the people who are severely affected by COVID," Stone said. They find that caring for pets is just a psychological burden. "You would think that raising an animal would be easier to deal with." No, for some people, it's the opposite.

In addition, many dogs have their own problems-they are not trained and not social. This is a problem, because although there is no shortage of foster families suitable for raising dogs (volunteers cannot even reply to all those who apply for adoption of an eight-month-old Golden Retriever), when Spot is older and anxious and appears, the situation is different. NS. Bring luggage. Send such a dog to a foster home and it is likely to come back in three days.

This is why the organization is looking for a place where volunteers can send pets to a foster family to welcome them. "What we need is a facility where we can bring these dogs in and teach them that the world is a safe place," said Mary Zick of the Humane Society.

Ideally, a piece of land can accommodate many dogs and provide overnight accommodation for humans. If this sounds like a big question, it doesn't hurt to raise it.

What else should they do? The animals keep coming. They only took in 14 quarantined dogs. These dogs are not mean, but they are afraid of everything around them. Stone just picked up 53 cats and kittens from a remote community.

She got dogs from wildfire refugees, including people whose homes were burned in Litton.

With the criticism from veterinarians and animal trainers (Stone says finding a vet is as difficult as finding a family doctor), it is not uncommon to see pets with health and behavior problems.

If the person to be handed in is turned away, what will happen to the old Yeller?

This is what it looks like when the tide changes.