In the first six months of 2022, the Saskatchewan organization saw at least 200 more animals walk through its doors compared to the previous year, said Bill Thorn, director of marketing and public relations at the Regina Humane Society. In 2019, they had about half as many animals surrendered in the same time period. It’s a trend reported at many Canadian animal shelters this year, and one that has a national advocacy group sounding the alarm about growing pressures on the system.
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Many shelters are either close to capacity or at capacity as inflation puts cost pressures on pet owners and at the same time we see an increase in calls for help and a growing waiting list to bring animals into them, said Barbara Cartwright, CEO of Humane . Canada, representing Canadian humane societies and SPCAs. Story continues below ad Coupled with stretched resources, Canadian animal shelters are caught in a “perfect storm,” he said. “It’s a real concern,” Cartwright said. “We think it’s going to get a lot worse in the fall.” 2:07 Pet Surrenders to Toronto Animal Shelters Increase Pet Surrenders to Toronto Animal Shelters – July 5, 2022
Canadian animal shelters under pressure
Many Canadian animal shelters have seen an increase in pressure on the system lately. Story continues below ad In a July 13 post on its website, the Winnipeg Humane Society said it is currently operating at 85 percent capacity. Peaks in intake push the shelter to full capacity, he added. A spokesperson told Global News in an email that the Winnipeg Humane Society is working to fix the problems. Meanwhile, on July 5, Sue Shearstone, director of shelter operations at Toronto Animal Services, told Global News that there has been a 60% increase in the number of animals coming to shelters in the past six months compared to the same period in 2021 . On the same day, the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society reported that it had reached capacity and had to stop imports to reduce pressure on the system. 4:27 AARCS appeals for supplies and foster homes as shelter reaches capacity AARCS appeals for supplies and foster homes as shelter reaches capacity – July 9, 2022 “We just reopened our doors two weeks ago and it’s just been an influx of animals that have come in and once again we’re at maximum capacity of what we can take care of right now,” executive director Deanna Thompson told Global News at the time . . Story continues below ad The news of the increase in pet surrenders comes after many Canadians rushed to adopt or buy pets when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. According to a June 2021 survey commissioned by Purina, approximately 3.7 million Canadians recently adopted, purchased or fostered a cat or dog during the pandemic.
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Meanwhile, recent adoption demand has been “a little subdued” at the Toronto Humane Society, said Chief Operating Officer Phil Nichols. “The animals that come in tend to stay with us longer, so we’re taking care of more animals on a daily basis, which taxes a lot of the available resources,” Nichols said. said Global News. Trending Stories
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It’s no doubt difficult for many Canadians to surrender their pets, but there are many issues at play when it comes to the current pressures shelters face, experts say. According to Cartwright, one of the reasons shelters are under pressure is because many of them report that the animals have health and mental health issues when they come in. Story continues below ad Perhaps during the height of the pandemic, many bought from breeders with poor health care records, he said. “When they come to the shelter, they need more time at the shelter to get ready to be adopted. The shelter needs to work on training, needs to work on behavioral issues (and) may need to do medical interventions,” Cartwright said. “They are in the shelter more. That means they take up space and that puts a lot of strain on the animal shelter.” 3:54 Calgary animal shelters seek support amid crisis Calgary animal shelters seek support amid crisis – June 19, 2022 In Regina, many owners reported cost issues when dropping off their pets, Thorne said. “The single biggest reason we have is that people can no longer afford the pet. In the first six months of this year, the case given as a reason for surrender has doubled compared to 2021,” he said, adding that “change in lifestyle” is another common reason shelter staff hear. Story continues below ad “We certainly believe that this is a result of the pandemic, but also of the general economy. Things have gotten very expensive very quickly this year and a lot of changes in living and working conditions in the last couple of years, and now it’s starting to catch up.”
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Additionally, like many other industries in Canada, staffing levels are not what they were before the pandemic, Nichols said. “Staffing is our biggest stress right now, especially animal care and medical professional staff and veterinary staff are pretty thin. There is a national shortage of veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians across the country that is very present in Toronto,” he said, adding that they have open positions but are struggling to fill them. “It puts the animal shelters that have to employ these professionals in a very difficult position because there are very few professionals available to do the job, but it also hits any pet guardian or parent out there because it’s a lot more difficult for them to try to find a veterinarian to provide them with the care they need.”
Worries about the autumn season
Echoing Cartwright’s concerns, Nichols said “the decline makes us quite concerned” with COVID-19 lingering at a time of year that generally sees an increase in shelter intake. Story continues below ad “If we have another hit on our staff, that will be quite detrimental to our ability to be able to provide care to all the animals that need it,” he said. In Regina, demand is at its highest right now, Thorn said. But they will be watching what happens in the fall as well. “Hopefully the fall won’t be too bad, but I guess time will tell and we’ll definitely be watching what the trend is.” 1:49 Calgary animal shelters ask for help as they tackle overcrowding Calgary animal shelters ask for help as they tackle overcrowding – June 15, 2022 Cartwright is calling on Ottawa to introduce a financial support package to help the industry during this time, not only to help with staffing levels but also to help equip shelters with the tools they need to care for their animals , such as vaccines. Story continues below ad As humane societies are charities, she also invites Canadians to not only consider donating to their local group, but also to contribute to Humane Canada’s National Food Pantry Program. “We know there are families out there who are struggling financially who have to make a terrible decision to surrender their animals,” he said. “Let’s make sure that this family can get food, cat litter, leashes, whatever they need if they’re having financial challenges, that they can get it.” At the end of the day, no owner finds it easy to surrender their pet, especially at a time when the cost of pet care is rising, Nichols said. “Resources are limited and inflation affects everyone. The more we can do as a community to help fellow pet owners keep their animals with them, it will be the best thing we can possibly do to help animal shelters deal with the overcrowding.” © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
