Why have we been overwhelmed?

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(Reader’s Note: This is part 1 of 3 in a series about systems framing.)

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A Tale of Two Crises

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In 2023, shelters and rescues across the country were in their fourth year of having too many animals and not enough adoptions. Organizations across the U.S. took in over 6.5 million animals, leaving many full and overcrowded.

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If you work in animal care and well-being, you know this too well - you live it every day. You know the feeling of being overwhelmed and exhausted. You’ve likely wondered how to make it stop. Why is this crisis happening? Whose fault is it? And most importantly - how do we fix it? The answer depends on the story you hear.

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Below are two news clips that show the power of stories to shape our understanding of reality. Both examples come from published articles describing increased animal shelter surrenders in 2023. Depending on the stories and messages around us, we can experience the same situation with two very different ideas about what’s going on.

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Story #1

(From the New Haven Register)

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“Multiple shelter workers and volunteers said that since the pandemic, pet surrenders have increased. Many people who got pets during the pandemic are now realizing they can’t or don’t want to take care of them because they’re spending more time outside the home or can’t afford the expenses. Many shelter workers have seen cases of abuse, neglect, and people dumping pets.”

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What is the problem?

Owners abandoning and abusing animals.

Who is responsible?

Pet owners.

What is the solution?

Owners need to stop being irresponsible.

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When the story tells us that people are “abusing”, “neglecting”, and “dumping” pets acquired during the pandemic, we know that pet owners are to blame. So what are the solutions? We see that shelters and rescues must take on the burden of more animals because so many people are “dumping” their animals. We may have to work harder as animals come pouring into our organizations, or we may want to be more restrictive about who can adopt.

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It’s hard to see other solutions from a story like this, even though we know that chronically “working harder” causes burnout and staff turnover. We understand that “restrictive adoption policies” can limit the number of pets who find loving families and harm relationships with pet owners and community members. Stories like this keep us overwhelmed in an endless cycle of problems.

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Story # 2

(From CNBC)

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“Lisa Spillman can’t imagine life without her dog, an 8-year-old chihuahua mix named Rosebud. But she says her household expenses were getting tough to handle. “Everything – rent, groceries, dog food… it’s all going really high,” Spillman, 52, told CNBC.

‍‍And she’s not alone…More than 90% of pet parents in the U.S. say they have noticed an increase in pet-related costs due to inflation, up from 71% who said the same in January, according to the survey…

‍‍…Spillman, who lives in Tucson, was forced to move after rent skyrocketed nearly 40%. Her only option was a place that wouldn’t take dogs.

‍‍ ‘Losing my baby, who loves me so much, hurt very much,” Spillman said.”

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What is the problem?

People must relinquish their pets due to rising costs.

‍Who is responsible?

The public and private institutions regulating the economy; corporate and individual landlords.

‍What is the solution?

More affordable housing for people and pets; supporting pet families with access to food and veterinary care.

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This second example shows the same issue as the first article, but owners are not the root of the problem. Instead, we see that even the most loving pet owners can struggle due to the rising costs of housing and pet supplies. Housing insecurity breaks the bond between Lisa and her dog. Lisa is forced to lose her canine family member due to forces beyond her control.

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When we identify the drivers behind the crisis—institutions and policy-makers—we can start discussing solutions that address them. This is at the heart of understanding systemic problems and finding ways to fix them. We can then support and help build solutions like more affordable, pet-inclusive housing and access to pet food and care. These are systems-based solutions that help bring an end to cycles of problems.

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The Power of Stories

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Stories are powerful because they shape our understanding of what is right and true. This is at the heart of narratives - the meaning we get from stories. Narratives are created by the details we include or leave out, the order of events, and what is emphasized or minimized. They influence our beliefs and shape our understanding of the world.

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When we face big, gnarly challenges like the crisis of overwhelmed shelters and rescues, we ask why and how we can stop them. The stories we tell and how we talk about people give us answers - but not all stories are the same. Some stories can negatively influence our behavior with clients, keeping us in cycles of blame and judgment and hurting relationships with owners and their pets.  Stories can leave us feeling overwhelmed and contribute to burnout.  We must look beyond stories of blame and shame and see a more accurate, bigger picture. Better stories and messages can help us chart a path to solving problems and help us finally break free from our crises.

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Explore

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Our guidance on telling stories that address the root cause of problems is Systems Framing for Animal Care and Well-Being.

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You can also read the next post in our series about systems framing - It’s time to talk about systems. Stories about pets and people are everywhere, and this post describes our opportunity to share stories that help our cause, animals, and people.

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Acknowledgement: We'd like to thank Frameworks Institute for their online course, Wide Angle Lens, which provided inspiration for the questions used in this blog to understand the meaning behind stories.

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