In Sweden there are a number of associations and organizations that help homeless and vulnerable dogs. One of them is Hundstallet, which helps rehabilitate and relocate dogs that have been hurt or cannot stay with their families.
Now you can see that the number of dogs that come in is record high.
– Generally speaking, there are also very many dogs in society today, says Erika Garmelius, communications manager at Hundstallet.
For over a hundred years, the non-profit association Hundstallet has worked to care for, rehabilitate and relocate dogs in Sweden. Now the number of dogs that have come in has been a record high – and the pressure is high.
– Partly there has been a pandemic where many people have acquired dogs. After that, the authorities were also able to do more checks and there we have also seen that we have brought in more dogs, says Erika Garmelius, communications manager at Hundstallet and continues:
– But generally speaking, there are also very many dogs in society today.
Common with uninsured dogs
Erika Garmelius believes that many of the dogs that come into the Kennel often have illnesses and need veterinary care, but have not received it for various reasons.
Among other things, it could be that many owners are having a tough time financially.
– Many dogs that come in to us are uninsured, so we can see a consequence of the difficult financial situation in society. It is a cost that is every month and it is sometimes the case that it is usually the one who smokes first if it is tight financially, she says.
“Great economic vulnerability”
Since the authorities and the County Administrative Board could not do as many checks, the association could see that the number of dogs that needed rehabilitation increased and will continue to do so – also next year.
– We have to invest in looking at next year now that we see that there is a great financial vulnerability. We must constantly gather strength. Then we also have fantastic donors who contribute in a way that makes a huge difference, says Johnny Kroneld, fundraising and communications manager at Hundstallet.
About the Kennel
Around the turn of the last century, many stray dogs lived in great misery on the streets of Stockholm. Many were captured and killed. This upset Gerda Thyselius and Lotten Johansson, who in 1908 started the Swedish Dog Protection Association. They felt that these street dogs deserved a better fate than being euthanized and that the dogs should instead be given a second chance.
Today, the non-profit association Svenska Hundskyddsföreningen runs the Hundstallet, which since its inception has taken care of tens of thousands of homeless dogs and helped them find new homes.
The kennel’s task is to help, care for and relocate vulnerable dogs. Regardless of the reason why a dog comes to the Kennel, we do everything we can to give each dog exactly what it needs. We accept dogs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round. The kennel receives no government grants, but is financed entirely by donations from the public.
Source: The dog stable