Overview

• Shelters in North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin and Saxony report record influxes of surrendered and found animals, triggering overcrowded facilities and quarantine delays.
• Staff in Bottrop discovered multiple rabbits abandoned without food or water in cardboard boxes, underscoring a rise in inhumane dumping practices.
• Intensive medical cases—from 11 ataxia-afflicted kittens under parvovirus suspicion in Köln-Dellbrück to traffic-injured cats in Berlin requiring blood transfusions and surgery—are further straining resources.
• Two senior Havaneser dogs in Bottrop arrived so matted they needed sedation, full shaving and extraction of fourteen teeth, illustrating expanded veterinary demands.
• Success stories like underweight dog Bounce gaining five kilograms offer hope, but shelters continue to reject unsuitable donations and urge ongoing financial and material support.