It's a problem across Canada and the U.S., according to Pembina Valley Humane Society (PVHS) Shelter Manager Jennifer Young, people surrendering or abandoning their cats or dogs due to the inability to financially care for them any longer.
"And we have people that are stopping by saying, 'Can I drop my dog off here?' It is overwhelming because we're also hearing from the pound, 'We've got these dogs or these cats that nobody has claimed. Do you have room?' And, we have to turn so many people away and put them on a waiting list, they can't always stay on, because of their own situations, they can't keep this animal for any longer. And it's just a shame, because we have no idea what is going to happen to these animals, we cannot take in."
When the shelter is full, abandoned animals are taken to the community pound where efforts are made to find where it came from.
"Because a stray could just be that, it could be an animal that has just run away from home or got loose somewhere. But we're finding that a lot of times it is a dog that nobody claims, or a cat that nobody claims after the five days, and they are putting out pleas to as many shelters as they can sometimes. Hoping that somebody can step up and take this animal and if after five days nobody can take it, you know they need to do what they can to make more room. And I believe that will include euthanization."
Young stressed, every effort is made by the pound to find room in shelters far and wide, but in the end, it is the harsh reality of the problem.
For those who find themselves without any other options and come into the shelter, Young said, it's truly heartbreaking.
"And you know what? It's not just heartbreaking for us, it is heartbreaking for the people surrendering them. We've had people come in and just be like, 'I can't take care of this animal.' Whether it is because they're sick or if it's because the vet bills get higher and higher, or if they just don't have the means anymore. They are so upset. We've had quite a few people just sitting here and crying because they did not want to have to do this, but they knew that it was the best thing for their pet."
She said, while there are some people upset about making the decision, unfortunately there are a select few who drop off the animal and walk out without paying attention to the animal as they leave. She quickly added, "Luckily, we have more animal lovers than nonanimal lovers in this community."
Large dogs are often harder for the shelter to find homes for right now.
Young added, there is another ongoing concern in the area.
"And it's not everybody, but there are people that are not getting their animals fixed and that is causing an issue as well. We have come across many people that have stray cats coming on their property that they are fixing; they are taking them to the vet and getting them vaccinated and getting them spayed or neutered. And it's those people we put in the highest esteem because they are taking care of an issue that needs to be taken care of and they're making a better life as much as they can for that animal."
Click here to learn more about the PVHS.
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