Southern Alberta animal shelters overrun with abandoned pets
Animal shelters across the province are finding themselves frequently at capacity -- or more.
Making things worse is a rise of pet owners abandoning or surrendering their pets.
The Pincher Creek Humane Society got a nasty surprise earlier this week: Monday, staff arrived at work to discover two abandoned huskies tied to the shelter door.
Just a few hours later, three more dogs arrived before someone else showed up with a puppy telling staff they had to take it or the dog was going to the dump.
The shelter is currently housing 25 dogs despite only being designed for 10.
“Pretty much got out of control quickly because we do have a mom with 10 puppies here. We are way over as it is, but it's just the concern of viruses now. Bio-security is a huge thing for us right now,” said Kelly Lepine with the Pincher Creek Humane Society.
More and more people struggling to afford keeping their pets.
It's a similar story at the Claresholm Animal Rescue Society.
They've had to turn dogs away due to overcrowding.
Staff are even needing to take dogs home over night to make room.
“Our abandons and surrenders are humongous, and we're only a small shelter. We only have room for seven dogs and maybe 35 or 40 cats. On average per month I’m turning down between 30 and 40 dogs,” said Lorraine Norgard with the Claresholm Animal Rescue Society.
One of the biggest reasons behind this wave of abandonments is the cost of living.
One of the biggest reasons behind this wave of abandonments is the cost of living.
More and more people struggling to afford keeping their pets.
Norgard said “a lot of people can't afford to feed their family so how do they feed a dog or a cat?”
Resources are available for people struggling to take care of their pets.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.
BREAKING Teen dies after being hit by train in N.W. Calgary
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
'It's his vacation too': Jimmy the baby goat joins 2-week road trip across Canada
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
Widespread theft costing Canada's retail industry dearly: experts
The Retail Council of Canada wants to put a stop to widespread theft within the retail industry, and industry leaders are meeting this week to find solutions.
Former South Dakota mayor charged with triple homicide
Three people were shot to death in a small South Dakota town, and a former law officer who once served as the town's mayor is charged in the killings.
Debunking the 'anti-sunscreen' movement: Doctors say TikTok trend is dangerous
Dermatologists are sounding the alarm about misinformation from the anti-sunscreen movement, saying not wearing sunscreen can cause cancer and other problems.