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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.