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Some rescue centres in rural Alberta have seen a rise in abandoned animals this year.
Heaven Can Wait Animal Rescue Foundation in High River has already accepted 30 per cent more animals than it did last year — and it’s operating over capacity.
Founder Kim Hessel has been rescuing animals for more than a decade and said full shelters push pet owners to do the unthinkable.
“I think resources are there but everyone is crowded,” said Hessel “People start looking for desperate solutions.”
Heaven Can Wait is currently housing 225 cats and nearly 60 dogs. Hessel said she’s seen an increase in people driving out of town to leave their animals.
“If people are going to dump animals, it’s going to be on the edges of town,” said Hessel. “There are folks that I know by name because they keep getting animals dumped at their property.”
Mark Erwin is all too familiar with this situation. In November, he rescued a female dog who was abandoned outside of Langdon.
“I felt bad for her,” he said. “She smelt like she had been living under a vehicle and she was a gray colour. She was damn near frozen.”
Erwin has lived on farms most of his life and said abandoned animals are becoming a common sight.
“We get at least three or four dogs a year that people had just dropped off. No collar, no tags.”
Hessel believes more can be done to promote spaying and neutering animals that are found in rural communities but said the real issue is irresponsible pet ownership.
She said if a family can no longer take care of a pet, there are steps that need to be taken.
“If [shelters] have a wait list, you wait,” said Hessel. “If there’s a fee, you pay the fee. At least your animals are going to a place where it’s got a really good chance of being rehomed.”
While shelters are looking to free up space by finding homes for cats and dogs, Hessel reminded families to do research before bringing home a new pet.
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