Thinking of getting a pet? BC SPCA offering half-price adoptions until Oct. 6

Vancouver -

British Columbians who've been thinking about adopting a new pet can currently do so for half price.

The BC SPCA has announced it's holding a half-price adoption promotion from Sept. 27 to Oct. 6 "to free up space in its locations for incoming animals."

“Many of our shelters are very full right now with animals seized or surrendered in large-scale investigations," said Lorie Chortyk, general manager of communications for the BC SPCA, in a news release.

"Our goal is to create capacity for these animals, while at the same time finding wonderful homes for the pets currently in our care."

The offer of 50 per cent off adoption fees applies to all companion animals, small animals and farm animals, with the exception of horses, according to Chortyk.

Jodi Dunlop, branch manager at the Vancouver SPCA, said her location has the largest capacity in the province and also the highest rate of adoptions. Over the course of the promotion, it’s expected more animals will be transferred to Vancouver from other regions.

“At our branch right now we have 74 animals in care,” Dunlop said. “We should be able to adopt out the majority of those animals this week and then be able to bring more in.”

Most of the animals currently at the shelter are stray cats. But there are also dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and rats. Some animals have even come from areas hit by wildfires.

“When the fires happened in Lillooet and the people were allowed to go back to their homes, a gentleman actually found a mother cat with some little tiny babies that had just been born, in some burnt wood in his home,” Dunlop said, adding the Kelowna and Chilliwack branches both took in many animals from fire zones, before they were transferred to Vancouver.

Full-price adoption fees vary depending on the location of the SPCA branch and the type of animal being adopted.

In Vancouver, for example, the regular adoption fee is $414 for an adult dog, but more if the animal is a small breed or a puppy, and less if it's over eight years old. The fee for an adult cat is $194, with higher fees for kittens and lower ones for cats over age eight. 

The half-price promotion is sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition, which Chortyk thanked for its support.

“We encourage anyone who has been thinking about adopting a pet to take advantage of this promotion," she said. "You will not only be providing a loving home for a deserving animal, but it will also allow us to create capacity for abused and neglected animals who urgently need our help.”

Those interested in adopting an animal can view available pets in B.C. on the SPCA website.