Pet-friendly rental shortage leading to shelter overcrowding

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. -

The Community Animal Services shelter has 88 per cent of its kennels filled, but over the last couple years it hasn’t been uncommon to be over capacity.

“At several times over that time period we have operated over capacity for several weeks at a time,” said community animal services director of services and enforcement, Skylar Plourde.

Several factors have led to this, with one of the leading factors being a lack of pet-friendly rental options available in Lethbridge.

According to the 2023 City of Lethbridge census, the vacancy rate is only 4.8 per cent with very few of those available units being pet-friendly.

The competitive rental market has created a shortage of available pet-friendly units, causing some pet owners to surrender their pets to shelters.

“We do hear a lot of this,” said Robin James, CAO of the Lethbridge Housing Authority. “Individuals coming to us with very large breed dogs like an 80 pound or 90 pound dog that they want to move in. Our units are quite small and they're quite condensed.”

It may be frustrating for pet owners many buildings don't allow pets for the health of their tenants.

Large buildings with central systems can spread dander from pets from unit to unit.

James said, “Within our large apartment style multi-family units because there's centralized air intake systems and because we have to be cognizant that people have allergies as well as medical issues.” 

The competitive rental market has created a shortage pet friendly units available causing some pet owners to surrender their pets to shelters.

Animal service agencies are trying to change this with many, including community animal services, trying to highlight the benefits of allowing pets to landlords.

“You're going to have more interest in your property if you open it up to pet owners. And a majority of people who own cats and dogs are actually responsible and they will take accountability for their animals,” said Plourde.

Community animal services have seen first hand what someone desperate to get rid of their pets.

Last week a box of 11 kittens were abandoned in front of the shelter and later that night a box of two cats were also found.

The two incidents aren’t believed to be related.

It's not known why the cats were abandoned but it's stretching the shelter's resources.       

“For whatever reason someone made those decisions to do that. It doesn't help the animals. It puts strain on resources that are already maxed out,” said Plourde.