Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Columbia-Greene Humane Society has experienced a sharp increase in the number of people surrendering their pets recently, President and CEO Ron Perez said November 12. Many of the animals are being surrendered to the shelter because their owners have lost their jobs or are being evicted from their homes, he said. The shelter is currently waiving its surrender fees for the unemployed. “We understand that for some people, surrendering their pet is a difficult and emotional decision. Often, financial difficulties in the family seem to make matters even worse,” he said. “Waiving our surrender fees will hopefully make these decisions less stressful for families.” The organization receives surrenders by appointment only. Those appointments can be made by calling 518-828-6044 or writing to info [at] cghs [dot] org. For pet owners who might need some help to keep their animal, the shelter’s free pet-food bank is open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with no appointment required. The pet food bank allows those facing financial challenges to get their pet food at the shelter free of charge. The shelter is located on Humane Society Road in Claverack. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.