Animal adoption in high demand
By Lethbridge Herald on July 20, 2023.
Herald Photo by Justin Sibbet. Member of the community meet animals during the Rescue Fest event at the Lethbridge Animal Shelter.Justin Sibbet
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
Animals of all varieties are in constant need of adoption, so the animal shelters, foster homes and adoption agencies of Lethbridge teamed up for an afternoon of furry fun in the sun.
With the goal of drumming up interest and promoting information about adoption, the Lethbridge Animal Shelter hosted ‘Rescue Fest’ recently with the support of several organizations around town.
Community members were invited to meet adoptable pets, speak with volunteers and donate to the pet foodbank.
The director of services with Community Animal Services, Skylar Plourde, says there is currently an overpopulation of pets without stable homes.
“That means shelters, rescue organizations, foster homes are being pushed to the limit,” said Plourde.
He says there has recently been a large increase in people wishing to surrender their pets and stray animals are also going unclaimed.
Furthermore, Plourde says there is a need for more volunteers at the various animal support organizations in Alberta.
“A number of the local animal rescue organizations from the southern Alberta area are here today to try to recruit volunteers, adopters, donors, foster homes, some of them are doing some fundraising activities,” said Plourde.
He says all organizations at Rescue Fest share the goal of shifting societies view on pet ownership, noting that pets are living beings who need love and support.
“Pets are not disposable,” said Plourde.
Even so, he says the recent uptick in pet abandonment is likely due to the rising prices seen in all aspects of life during today’s economic uncertainty.
“People just can’t really afford to take care of them,” said Plourde. “So, these organizations are taking these animals in, putting them in foster homes but their having to bear that financial cost too.”
He says the solution to the pet crisis is only achievable with the support of the community and pet owners.
“We’re hoping that this event will bring out that other part of the community that is willing to back these organizations with their time and their donations and possibly adopting,” said Plourde.
Carly Adamson with Last Chance Cat Ranch also says there is a demand for support because her organization is solely volunteer based.
“We run off of 100 per cent donations, so we don’t receive any grants from the government,” said Adamson.
She says this creates significant hardships for the organization as the money is never guaranteed and the increasing number of cats in their care is also causing a financial burden.
“Going month to month, we struggle to pay our rent … we have over 150 cats in foster and we have about 50 at our facility right now,” said Adamson.
This increase in cats can be partially attributed to the more regular mating cycle from some species.
A common statement made from individuals at the Rescue Fest was the necessity to spay and neuter pets to help combat the rising numbers.
“There used to be kitten season and now that’s all season,” said Adamson. “The problem is rampant in Lethbridge and the surrounding area.”
Typically, people think about the rising pet population only affecting cats and dogs but Alyssa Koenig, president of Archie’s Angels Rabbit Rescue, says exotic pets are also seeing higher rates of abandonment.
Although the name may suggest they deal exclusively with rabbits, Archie’s Angels specialize in the care of several pets including snakes or even tarantulas.
Koenig says education is the first step to ensuring a safe and happy home for pets and pet owners.
“Exotic animals have become extremely popular, especially in the past few years,” said Koenig. “A lot of people (who) purchase them don’t know how to properly take care of them.”
She says prospective adopters must ensure they research their desired animal thoroughly before decided on adoption because exotic animals are not simply a cat or dog.
“They are not the average pet,” said Koenig. “You have to have a vet that really knows what they are doing.”
Plourde echoed Koenig by saying there are common misconceptions about exotic pets that are often overlooked during the adoption process.
“People think they are easier to take care of,” said Plourde.
He says these flashy pets are indeed becoming more popular, but this also creates more animal control problems.
“Our animal control officers just today responded to a cockatiel in a park … we didn’t used to see those types of calls,” said Plourde.
However, he says the key to any adoption, no matter the species, is knowledge and education to prepare yourself.
“If you are looking to either support these organizations or rescue or you want to adopt, spend some time doing some research,” said Plourde.
Animal shelters, rescues and fosters in Lethbridge are available online at their respective websites.
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LCCR’s total revenue/income for 2022 was 420k. Money is not their issue, how they spend it is.