More COVID Dogs Surrendered To Animal Shelters In Canada

More COVID dogs were surrendered to animal shelters in Canada, prompting the care facility to ask for support.

The CBC News reported that the Oakville Milton Humane Society is appealing for donations to support 131 animals, including 38 dogs.

The shelter also observed an increase in demand for its food bank, which offers pet meals to owners who are having financial difficulties.

Lisa Bennett, the shelter's customer service team leader, said that the situation is crucial due to the rising program expenditures and that one donor has agreed to match every dollar given to the group up to $5,000 by July 31.

Cost of Living

Since the COVID-19 restriction was lifted, pet owners have been abandoning their animals at shelters across Canada, and some have even abandoned their pets in parks.

According to Bennett, the main reason for pet surrenders is that people can no longer afford to care for their pets due to escalating living costs.

Some people who adopted pets while working at home no longer have the time to care for them.

From January 1 to July 21 of this year, 292 dogs were surrendered to Toronto Animal Services, putting them on track to surpass the 477 surrendered in 2022.

According to Melissa Shupak, division manager of shelter services at the Toronto Humane Society (THS), adoption numbers are down and surrenders are up.

"People are trying to evaluate whether they can put food on the table for themselves and their family or an animal," said Shupak.

There is a rise in the number of cats being surrendered to shelters in England.

The BBC reported that, according to data from Cats Protection Charity's adoption center in Wrexham, one in every five cats admitted to the center due to their owners being unable to pay for their upkeep.

Because of the surge in numbers, an appeal has been issued for volunteers to assist in socializing the abandoned felines with cuddles.

"We don't have the capacity to bring in 270 cats straight away, so we are trying to work with owners to try to keep the cats in their home as best as possible, as well as freeing up capacity to bring more cats into care, where they can't stay in their home," said Vicki Small, Operations manager for Cats Protection in Wales.

A Toronto-based dog and cat rescue organization, Mattie's Place founded by Denise Angus said that they also noticed an increase in the demand for their food bank, adding that they feed at least 1,200 dogs a month.

They also received 20 to 30 emails a day from distressed pet owners looking for a permanent place for their animals.

"It's heartbreaking... and as a volunteer, it really shakes you to the core," said Angus.

Read Also: Russia Unveils First-Ever COVID-19 Vaccine For Animals: How Effective Is It?

Shortage of veterinarians

According to Nicole Simone, CEO of Redemption Paws, a federally registered organization that helps rehome dogs, Ontario's veterinarian shortage has resulted in escalating veterinary care expenses.

"Dogs aren't even able to get the same quality of care that they were two years ago because there's just simply a shortage of vets," said Simone.

She claims that owners are frequently struck with unexpected vet expenditures, which forces them to relinquish their pets.

Simone claims that by getting pet insurance, this can be avoided.

"We just encourage people to really prepare medically for their dogs because that's that's a big issue that people face."

Related Article: How Are Animals Affected By COVID-19?

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