Surge in surrendered pets straining Alberta's shelter capacity

An unprecedented surge in the number of cats and dogs being surrendered by their owners is creating a capacity crisis at pet rescue facilities across Alberta.

The increase in unwanted pets is putting a strain on shelters, taking a toll on rescue workers and escalating fears that unwanted animals may face neglect.

People on the front lines caution that with capacity strained, some owners are abandoning their pets instead of finding shelters that can take them.

The crisis is unfolding in communities across the province as shelters contend with chronic overcrowding. The trend began as COVID restrictions eased and has continued to escalate alongside the cost of living.

Dan Kobe, a spokesperson for the Alberta SPCA, said the society's officers have seen a concerning rise in the number of animals discarded by their owners.

"They would like to surrender them but they can't find a suitable option and and they get desperate and then they leave the animal in position where they hope it will be cared for … But it's still a dangerous situation for the animal," Kobe said. 

"We don't want to see people taking that kind of drastic step."

Shelters across the province are overrun. The demand is driven by an overpopulation of pets, and the increasing cost of caring for animals, he said. 

"We'd like people to take the time to surrender animals properly, even though that may take weeks or months," he said.

"If you've taken on care of that animal, it's now your responsibility to make sure that you moved on to its next home in a safe way."

Erin Deems, executive director at Saving Grace Animal Rescue Society in Alix, 55 kilometres northeast of Red Deer, said with so many animals being given up, there is no longer space to house them all.

"We are over capacity on any given day," she said. "And unfortunately, people are just taking desperate measures now by literally dumping them on our doorstep."

 Shelter officials say several factors are driving the trend, which has been seen across Canada. Animal adoptions spiked during the peak of COVID-19 but as restrictions eased, the trend reversed.

Many people who adopted pets while they were isolated under restrictions no longer have time to care for the animals. Backyard breeding operations that proliferated during the pandemic are now clogging the shelter system with unwanted litters.