Minnesota animal rescue helping pets left behind by ICE detainees

Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota and the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations have left many pets behind.

Rachel Mairose owns The Bond Between, a dog and cat rescue and care facility in the Twin Cities. She discovered a sad side effect of the recent ICE surge.

"Watching these people get ripped apart from their families is really, really hard," Mairose said. "You see a lot of people that are getting detained or deported and they have their pets that they've had their entire life."

The Bond Between's newest rescue is Chapo.

"Chapo is the friendliest boy. He is a big old Cane Corso. He's about 110-120 pounds, he's a year old, and his dad was unfortunately deported" Mairose said.

She says she sees the problem getting worse, and is trying to help pet owners prepare.

"I'm urging people to come up with a kind of a preparedness plan, so that in the event that they are worried about being detained or deported, there is a plan in place for their beloved pet," Mairose said.

The Bond Between has a program where they will house a pet for up to 90 days at no cost to the family. They can also help find new homes for pets that get surrendered.

"Animals don't know why somebody left, and so I think a lot of times they feel really confused and abandoned, and that's what we want to stop," Mairose said.

They aim to connect left-behind pets with a foster home until things get back to normal or someone adopts them — something The Bond Between has been doing for a long time.

"If anybody's looking for a big, slobbering, beautiful boy, we have him available for foster," Mairose said.

The Bond Between is always looking for foster families for short or long term. They're also offering emergency food and supplies at no cost for anyone who's experiencing pet insecurities. Click here for more information.