A dog in her enclosure at the Lorient SPA refuge on April 17, 2020. -

Maxime Le Pihif / SIPA

The SPA recorded 37,667 adoptions in 2020 in its 62 shelters.

The rate of return of adopted animals was only 3.8%, a historically low figure, the association announced in a statement on Thursday.

According to the annual report, the SPA collected 40,131 animals, or 14% less than in 2019. A decrease which is explained according to her "by the successive confinements" because outside these periods, the number of rescued animals was the same as the previous year.

In 2019, nearly 43,000 animals had been adopted.

Like 38,000 animals, Pedro, resident at the Orgeval SPA refuge, joined a loving family in 2020. The return rate is 3.8% and has never been so low, proof of the know-how of the SPA teams đź‘Ź # rewind2020 # ReflexeSPA #MerciLesAnimaux #NouSPArtageons pic.twitter.com/rnmnvYfInm

- La SPA France (@SPA_Officiel) January 21, 2021

The abandonment of new pets on the rise

In 2020, dogs, cats and pets were able to benefit from the “Solidarity Adoption” scheme, an unprecedented operation adapted to the constraints and health measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The volunteer president of the SPA said he was “proud” and praised the “professionalism” of his collaborators and volunteers and the “support of donors”.

The SPA deplores, however, a 16% increase in the abandonment of new pets (NAC) in the last eight months, with a peak during deconfinement and the summer period.

"A direct correlation with the impulse purchase of these species [...] during the first confinement, abandoned as vulgar objects of consumption a few months later", regrets the association.

The SPA has also come to the aid of 192 local associations.

144 of them were supported under the Solidarity Fund mechanism launched in spring 2020 in the context of the health crisis.

This fund had a total budget of 175,000 euros.

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