Litter of 6 puppies surrendered to BC SPCA just before Christmas

Six puppies were surrendered to the BC SPCA just three days before Christmas — adding more strain to their already busy holiday season.

The animal welfare organization says the litter of six-week-old Great Pyrenees border collie-cross pups was surrendered to their Chilliwack shelter on Dec. 22.

According to the manager, this has not been an unusual occurrence as they've seen a "tremendous" increase in the number of pregnant dogs and puppies coming into their care in 2023.

"It used to be really rare to have puppies come into the centre, but access to spay and neuter services is often challenging, which can lead to accidental litters, not to mention the rising cost of living," Shelley Joaquin said in a news release Friday.

"We're really grateful the owner of these puppies reached out to surrender them immediately when they realized they could no longer afford their care, and before the puppies' health was impacted."

The SPCA adds that litters of young puppies require a lot of work and can put a strain on their resources, especially for foster volunteers.

"These little ones are so precious, they snuggle right into you when you hold them," Joaquin said. "But, like most younger animals, they needed to get out of the more overwhelming shelter environment and into foster care right away so they can learn what it's like to live in a home by being house-trained and socializing. It was challenging to find fosters so close to the holidays, but we were thrilled to find three homes who could each accept a pair of puppies."

Each of the puppies still needs to be spayed or neutered and will be in the BC SPCA's care for another two weeks before they are available for adoption.