Upcoming 'puppy party' event highlights influx of animal surrenders to Calgary Humane Society
The Calgary Humane Society hopes to spark more pet adoptions or fostering to curb the influx of pets that have come into its care.
The surge of surrenders prompted the society to pause all intakes in mid-August, but officials say while the situation has improved, more homes are needed to house the excess dogs, puppies, cats and kittens.
"The community came forward to help in terms of fostering and adopting. It's been helpful enough for us to slowly consider a few more animals to come in off that waitlist but we are still triaging a waitlist," said Anna-Lee Fitzsimmons, director of public relations for the Calgary Humane Society.
"We do still have animals waiting to come in here."
Fitzsimmons says 80 more households have joined their roster of fosters, allowing the animals a temporary home environment.
She says the pandemic has played a role in the current situation.
"People are back in the office, people are able to go on vacation again, so I think largely, what's happening is there are more animals and more puppies and kittens in the community than there are homes for."
The surge of surrenders prompted the society to pause all intakes in mid-August, but officials say while the situation has improved, more homes are needed to house the excess dogs, puppies, cats and kittens. (Calgary Humane Society)
PUPPIES, TOO
For those who may want to start by raising a puppy, 22 Australian Shepherd-crossed Poodles or "Aussie-doodles" are up for adoption.
Officials say they were surrendered after the breeder was evicted from a rental property near Calgary.
Prospective pooch parents can view the pups and other pets at an upcoming event.
"It's just kind of a fun community engagement style event where people can come in and meet all the puppies available for adoption and hopefully pick one to go home with," Fitzsimmons said.
The "Puppy Party" event runs from 2 to 5 p.m. on Friday at the Calgary Humane Society facility.
Jamie Proudfoot began fostering in June and says opening up her home to dogs in need of a fresh start has been rewarding.
"It is effort but it's such good effort and you feel so good, giving back. I would encourage it for anybody who is unsure if they want to have a dog yet."
"It's just such a rewarding thing to do, to know that you're helping set them up for their future when they end up with their permanent families and that you were able to give them some of that training and some of that learning and get them used to being a dog in a house."
Fitzsimmons also says pet ownership restrictions contribute to the number of surrenders, and is calling for more landlords to relax rules barring pets to reduce long-term factors for pet surrenders.
(Calgary Humane Society)
(Calgary Humane Society)
(Calgary Humane Society)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hamas says latest ceasefire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in 'very near future'
The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after "in-depth and serious discussions,"{ the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
B.C. man wants homes for thousands of books he soon won't be able to read
In the 10 years since John William started to lose his vision, he's been finding new ways to enjoy his vast personal library.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc insists
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
Bombarded with spam texts? Stats show the problem is getting worse in Canada
In particular, messages that involve phishing — an attack where a scammer tries to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware or sharing sensitive information — are on the rise.
One dead after potential wrong way crash on Highway 401 in Milton: OPP
One person is dead and another is in life-threatening condition after a driver was travelling in the wrong direction on Highway 401 in Milton Sunday, according to police.
opinion You don't need to be an influencer to earn income from social media
How legitimate are claims by some content creators that the average person can earn passive income from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says it's quite possible, if you're willing to put in the initial time and effort.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.