Right now, animal shelters across South Carolina are in crisis. Overcrowded kennels, heartbreaking surrenders, and exhausted staff are becoming the norm. Many families, crushed by the rising cost of living and inflation, are being forced to make the impossible choice: give up a beloved pet because they can no longer afford food, vet care, or housing that allows animals.

This isn’t just an animal welfare issue—it’s a community crisis. Shelters are bursting at the seams, leaving animals stressed, sick, and at greater risk of euthanasia. Staff and volunteers are stretched beyond their limits, doing everything they can to save lives with too few resources and too little space.

But this situation is not hopeless. With emergency funding from the state, we can provide immediate relief—more food, medical care, spay/neuter programs, and temporary housing for pets whose owners just need a little help to get through hard times. This would keep more animals out of shelters in the first place, and help the ones already there find safe, loving homes faster.

We call on South Carolina lawmakers and local leaders to step up and address this crisis before it gets worse. This means allocating emergency funds to:

• Support overcrowded shelters with staff, supplies, and space
• Expand assistance programs for struggling pet owners to prevent surrenders
• Fund low-cost veterinary care and spay/neuter services to reduce intake numbers

No one should have to choose between paying rent and keeping their pet. And no animal should suffer simply because their human fell on hard times. South Carolina can and should be a place where people and pets are protected—even in tough economic times.

We urge our elected officials to act now to provide emergency funding for our shelters and prevention programs. Every day of delay means more pets losing their homes and more shelters forced into heartbreaking decisions. Let’s protect the animals who depend on us—and the people who love them.

Sign this petition to demand emergency funding for South Carolina’s overcrowded shelters and to keep families and pets together.