Almost every week, the Central Aroostook Humane Society hears from someone losing a home or apartment who needs to surrender animals. For dog owners in Presque Isle and the surrounding county, housing instability can mean choosing between personal shelter and keeping a pet.
Almost on a weekly basis, we get a call that somebody’s losing their home or losing their apartment and need to bring in their animals, shelter manager Betsy Hallett said. She identified homelessness as one of the main reasons animals are surrendered to the humane society.
Rental restrictions can narrow the available housing further. Hallett said many dogs at the shelter are pit mixes and that most apartments prohibit those dogs because of insurance restrictions.
That account is specific to the shelter’s experience and should not be treated as evidence that every Maine rental property or insurer follows the same policy. Still, restrictions based on breed or type can prevent some renters from moving into otherwise available housing with their dogs.
Pet-inclusive housing guidance from Best Friends Animal Society identifies breed and weight restrictions, fees and deposits as barriers that can limit access to rentals for people with pets. The organization argues that accessible housing without those barriers is important to community stability.
Household pressure reaches housing and animal services
Kari Bradstreet, executive director of Homeless Services of Aroostook, said many people seeking help arrive with pets or emotional support animals. The organization also supports service animals when clients have them.
Bradstreet said the organization is seeing more Aroostook County natives return to the area. Some have used up their resources or lost relatives who had previously provided help.
Financial assistance is also reaching fewer needs, according to Jason Parent, CEO and president of Community Action. He said inflation and program cutbacks have reduced the value of available aid, while fixed-income households face tighter budgets because of reductions that include food assistance.
Those pressures can leave a dog owner with few immediate choices. Bradstreet said some people remain outside rather than enter a shelter without an animal they consider part of their family, surrendering the pet only when staying outside is no longer sustainable.
Demand is not confined to Aroostook County. The Central Aroostook Humane Society also receives dog-surrender requests from elsewhere in Maine because other humane societies have reached their maximum dog capacity.
The local organizations did not provide totals for housing-related surrenders or shelter capacity. Nationally, however, the ASPCA’s 2025 shelter statistics indicate that dogs are staying in shelters longer than they did five years earlier, limiting room for new arrivals. The organization counted 2.8 million dogs entering U.S. shelters and rescues in 2025 and said 30% of dog and cat intake involved owner surrenders.
Surrender may not be the only path
Homeless Services of Aroostook works with people to consider temporary fostering and other assistance while they seek stable housing. Those arrangements may allow an owner to avoid permanent relinquishment, but no eligibility rules, costs, duration or geographic limits were provided.
Owners facing imminent housing loss can ask local housing providers, humane societies and homelessness services whether temporary foster care or another pet-retention option is available. Because availability and acceptance policies may differ, owners should confirm the terms directly rather than assume a program can take their dog.
Pets, emotional support animals and service animals are not interchangeable categories. The information available here does not establish the legal housing or emergency-shelter rules for each, so owners should ask the relevant housing provider or a qualified legal-assistance organization how the rules apply to their circumstances.
Bradstreet said people may initially believe they must give up an animal when other possibilities could exist. In Aroostook County, asking about temporary care before surrender may preserve a relationship that housing loss has put at risk, even when no immediate pet-inclusive placement is available.
What would you do if your dog were in this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
By Sarah Mitchell — 8 years as a local-news reporter covering animal welfare, shelters, neighborhood disputes, and public-safety pet stories.
