Unfortunately, immigrants’ pets had to be transferred or relocated to a crowded LA shelter. We frequently concentrate on individuals who are directly impacted—families split apart, careers lost, communities rocked—after human conflict or displacement. The animals left behind, however, are a more subdued and frequently unseen population that endures silent suffering. An unanticipated result has been exposed by recent advancements in immigration enforcement, which is a curious twist of fate. Abandoned pets are starting to overrun animal shelters throughout Los Angeles.
In LA County, pets abandoned during immigration raids find refuge and hope
Los Angeles County has a new task: taking care of dogs and cats after their owners were detained or deported in immigration raids that picked up this summer under the Trump administration. From June 10, the county has taken in 28 animals, 22 of whom are dogs. Eleven dogs and two cats have been placed with homes since then.
In the Downey shelter, two cats come in together in a carrier, and some dogs come in boxes and plastic bins. Then they are placed in cages waiting for adoption, and the barking and meowing can get loud. Christopher Valles, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, expressed,
“The animals have become sort of a victim in this situation because, to no fault of their own, they’re finding themselves in the care centers. But that’s why it’s important for this message to go out so that to have a family who has an animal, if they think that they’re gonna be in a situation where they may self-deport or be deported or detained, whatever it may be.”
The animals will be checked, and it is seen how stressed they have been
While the dogs and cats wait to be placed in homes, the county will give pets a health check and have them groomed if that is needed, Valles said. Valles gives advice to families that believe they might be detained or deported. “We know these are challenging times, but if we can keep that animal with the owner or with the family or out of the care center, that’s our goal.”
It is clear that the animals are suffering emotionally. Many are reclusive, malnourished, or afraid. Cats cower in corners; dogs pace tensely in kennels. Many are just not adopted or claimed, but some are fortunate enough to be. It shows that these events not only affect human beings negatively, but also animals, too, and we can see that in this situation.
It is also about the relationships we have with animals
Ultimately, this story serves as a reminder of the profound impact that pets have on people’s lives. They are family, not trinkets or afterthoughts. Pets also suffer when families are split up. The fate of animals left behind is a humanitarian concern, even while immigration enforcement is a political one. It demands action, accountability, and empathy from all facets of society. Also, the U.S. State Department is planning to spend money to help Costa Rica deport immigrants.
For the time being, Los Angeles shelters are still doing their best. However, if nothing changes, more people will lose a piece of themselves they might never regain, and more pets will be left without the people they love. According to the county’s Department of Animal Care and Control, between June 10 and July 4, at least 15 canines were turned in at L.A. County animal shelters as a result of deportations. On the other hand, there is a new nationalist party in Japan risen on the immigration stance. Anything to do with immigration always has some kind of impact on everything and everyone.
GCN.com/Reuters.