When federal immigration arrests sweep through a neighborhood, family pets do not show up on any official list of who is left behind. In the Twin Cities, that gap has landed squarely on the doorstep of a Minnetonka animal rescue and other local shelters that say they are suddenly hustling to care for dogs and cats whose owners were detained or deported. Volunteers and foster families are racing to line up temporary homes, scrape together emergency food, and cover basic vet care as more animals arrive with no clear plan for what comes next, straining organizations that normally rely on a predictable trickle of donations and volunteer help.
The Bond Between, a Minnetonka-based rescue, has become a key stopover for pets separated from their people. Staff and volunteers are working case by case to keep animals with their families whenever possible or, when that is not an option, to place them in safe short-term foster homes. The group told local TV it has already spayed or neutered 11 pets, vaccinated and microchipped animals coming into its care, and handed out more than 100 emergency food kits, each intended to feed a pet for roughly a month, as reported by KSTP. CBS Minnesota has reported that the organization also runs a respite program that can house pets for up to 90 days while families try to stabilize their situations.
Respite Fosters And Vet Partnerships
To keep up, The Bond Between says it has widened its respite foster network and teamed up with veterinary clinics willing to provide core vaccinations, spay and neuter surgeries, and microchips for animals entering the program. The rescue’s own blog notes that more than 140 new foster applications have arrived in recent days and that staff are maintaining an emergency pet food shelf at the group’s Minneapolis location. MPR News and other outlets have described similar pressure on area rescues as neighbors scramble to scoop up animals left without caretakers in the wake of enforcement activity.
Some of that scramble is intensely personal. Linda Connelly, who told reporters she stepped in to pick up two cats abandoned amid deportation threats, said she is holding on to hope that the pets will eventually go back to their original home. “That’s where they belong. That’s their family,” Connelly said, adding that she did not want the cats kept in a cage while they wait, a detail reported by KSTP.
How Neighbors Can Help
Local rescues are putting out a clear call for help: they need foster volunteers, cash donations, and basic pet supplies. The Bond Between’s website offers step-by-step guidance on how to create a pet care plan in case of detention or deportation, along with contact details for its respite and surrender programs, according to The Bond Between. The organization’s blog also reminds residents that Minnesota law requires a five-day stray hold, so people who find an animal are urged to contact local animal control first, then reach out to rescues if the pet is not reclaimed. For more reporting on how Twin Cities groups are responding, see coverage from MPR News and CBS Minnesota…