Pembina Valley Humane Society (PVHS) Shelter Manager Jennifer Young said they still get calls about people finding litters of kittens and puppies in boxes left on the side of the road and other places to fend for themselves.
This usually is the result of one of two things: People who don't spay or neuter their pets with unwanted litters or breeders who are unable to find homes in a timely manner.
Young said, people looking for pets usually want specific kinds of dogs. Many times, it's the larger breeds placed in the shelter.
"And that would be the shepherds and the shepherd cross and the husky cross. There are animals that are being pushed aside for the smaller animals because they don't need a three-hour walk and they don't need a lot of exercise. We're seeing the trend of bigger dogs being left behind or the large breed puppies being dropped off somewhere because we're finding that nobody wants them."
She confirmed demand for dogs is lower than it has been.
"And I think the breeders and the so-called backyard breeders are realizing that too. We've had a few people that actually call and say things like, I can't even give them away. It's just a shame. We do what we can but the more big-breed dogs we bring in, the less space we have for others."
This can lead to people giving away or selling online to anyone who will take one, which isn't in the best interest of the pet.
"We've brought in dogs that have been rescued or whatever from a bad situation that are very underweight, they're very matted with long, long nails. They just haven't been taken care of. They (people who haven't taken care of their pets) are trying to give away to people or sell to people as well. In that sense, too, they aren't vetting them and just handing them over saying, 'Here you go. Give me 100 bucks and we're good.'"
Young expressed her concern for those who do not value animal's lives by not caring for them or abandoning them but said that isn't everyone.
"There's so many people that value pets and animals in this community and want the absolute best for them, and that's where we get our donors, and we get our volunteers. We've got a great board and staff that really, really care about what happens to these animals and what we can do to improve our processes and make it so that people want to come and adopt an animal from us."
Click here to adopt a pet, volunteer or donate to PVHS.
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