Hamilton, Niagara pet shelters at capacity step up adoptions and foster programs for the holidays

Several animal shelters across Southern Ontario are scrambling to find permanent homes for pets amid the holiday season, while also relying on foster programs to make sure others have a “home environment” over the next few weeks.

Michelle Macnab, director of community outreach and animal programs for the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA (HBSPCA) says they’re “fuller” than they’ve been in a while and have stepped up conversations with prospective adopters to match pets and people.

“While stays with our animals are a little bit longer than normal, right now, we are certainly seeing them still moving,” Macnab explained.

Those anecdotal conversations have also shed some light on why the outlet continues to be at capacity, many owners already found their lifelong pet during an adoption surge amid the pandemic and recent surrenders due to growing inflation.

Macnab says a pet is a “really big commitment” in terms of time and finances, and it’s spurred on assistance programs like a Pet Food Pantry program supporting pet owners in need of food and basic supplies.

“We would hate to think that somebody needs to … surrender that pet simply because they can’t get pet food for the next couple of weeks,” Macnab said. “So if we can help with that, we’re certainly happy to and we’re doing our very best to get those resources out to the community as much as possible.”

The price of pet food, grooming and medical care are all going up while owners are also having to factor in their own expenses, such as groceries and rent.

In Canada, the cost of owning a dog works out to an average of $460-$3,140 per year, according to Rover.com.

When it comes to the initial costs of ownership, Rover.com found that dog owners typically spend between $1,395 and $4,270 upfront, not including potential thousands in surprise costs like emergency vet bills, dental cleanings and pet insurance.

The annual cost of owning a kitten is approximately $3,378 to $3,538 a year, according to the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association.

John Greer, executive director of the Niagara SPCA and Humane Society, says they have 60 dogs and 77 cats cats in their care this holiday season which is a combined eight more than the same time last year.

He says they have about 30 pets out for fostering at any given time over the year and says the outlet will be at that capacity when it closes during the holidays.

Like the HBSPCA, he hears affordability as a common reason for surrenders, particularly if an owner has to resort to some sort of veterinary care.

“I think it’s that downturn in the economy, you know, fuel prices are up … inflation is up and so is veterinary care. I think that’s the biggest reason,” Greer suggested.

It’s a message they try to instill in potential pet adopters before taking on an animal that there will be noticeable costs in the commitment.

He says Niagara SPCA works with a corporate partner for food donations as well as a community engagement team distributing bags of food to owners in need over the holidays through a “door drop” program.

However, they also rely on cash and product donations from the public to get them through the season which can be made via their website.

“Kitten milk … is always a big thing for us, and toys for the animals at Christmas, anything that a pet will like,” said Greer.

Meanwhile, Macnab expects between 55 and 60 pets will be out for foster care for the HBSPCA as of Friday and credits time off for families during the holidays as a contributing factor for the temporary adoptions.

“It’s fantastic for those pets to be in a home, you know, hanging out on the couch and chilling with everybody you near the Christmas tree and just really enjoying all of the fun that comes with people being home for a little bit,” she said.

Last year, some 560 animals were adopted through the HBSPCA while the agency took in close to 400 pet surrenders.