CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — As the number of deportations continues to rise under the Trump Administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, local pet shelters are feeling the impact.
Jill Badlotto is trying to be a good neighbor until the very end.
“Our neighbor, sadly, is being deported, and they are unable to take their dogs with them, so now the dogs need a new home,” she said.
The Coral Springs mom opened the door of her home to 13-years-old pups Coco and Blue.
The Shih Tzu Maltese mix duo is being surrendered by its family now forced to leave the country.
“Taking dogs to another country is a very hard process,” said Badlotto. “Probably going to be easy for people to say, ‘Oh just take the dogs with you,’ but, unfortunately, that’s not the reality for a lot of these families.”
As ICE arrests and deportations climb, pet rescues across the country are reporting a rise in animals being left behind by deported immigrants.
The Humane Society of Broward County told Local 10 News they’ve had a handful of pets dropped off in recent months by their deported owners.
But the number may be much higher, as operations like Miami-Dade County Animal Services say they’ve only recently begun tracking this issue.
“I think we can all agree across the political board that dogs deserve good homes,” said Badlotto.
For now, Badlotto, who already has two dogs, says she’ll keep trying to find the siblings a home as she says goodbye to her long-time neighbors.
“It’s so insane to see this happening to such a good family and this is only one story of many and many to come, which is really, really heartbreaking,” she said.
If you happen to be interested in Coco and Blue, you can reach out to Badlotto on Instagram.
This is an issue having a growing effect on local pet rescues, and Local 10’s Animal Advocate Jacey Birch is looking deeper into the concerns of animals being abandoned. Her investigation airs Monday.
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