BC SPCA calling for help amid influx of unwanted pandemic-bred pups
A spike in unwanted pandemic-bred puppies has the BC SPCA calling for help.
The animal rescue non-profit said 21 golden retrievers, including 17 puppies, were surrendered by a breeder near Quesnel recently, and it's the latest in an influx of dogs during the past few months.
Eileen Drever, BC SPCA's senior officer for protection and stakeholder relations, said the organization is struggling and doesn't have the resources to take care of all the animals.
"This is a huge strain on our resources," she said.
"We couldn't do the work that we do without our volunteers and our donors and the fact that we're not government-funded at all, which begs the question, if the BC SPCA wasn't here, who would be doing this? What would happen to these animals? It's quite scary actually," she continued.
Drever said the influx of dogs is due to an increase in backyard breeders looking to make an extra buck during the pandemic.
"I noticed puppies were selling between three and four thousand dollars during COVID, which I thought was outrageous," she said, adding that many breeders are now overwhelmed by the number of animals in their care.
"There are others where they are abusing these dogs and neglecting them and on those occasions, we have to go in there with a warrant and remove these animals," she said.
Now in crisis mode, the SPCA said it can't keep all the dogs at once and is looking for foster homes for the pups until they're ready for adoption.
The increase in surrendered pets is being seen across Canada.
According to Calla James, the director of community engagement and outreach at the Humane Society of Kitchener-Waterloo and Stratford-Perth in Ontario, many people are struggling to keep up with the cost of owning a pet.
She said 2,344 pets were surrendered to the society's centres in 2022, a 44-per-cent increase compared to 2021.
“People are just getting caught coming out of the pandemic, with inflation being so high as it is, and now looking at, 'Am I feeding my family or feeding my pet?'" James said.
Drever has also noticed pet owners are struggling financially in recent months.
"There has been an increase in us providing food to the food banks," she said.
But Drever said there's no excuse for pets not to be fed and provided basic necessities, adding that those who are struggling should reach out, as help is always available.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.