The society responsible for investigating animal cruelty offences in B.C. is experiencing an influx of surrendered puppies, some of which were bred as pandemic pets.
The BC SPCA said on Wednesday that 350 puppies have come into its care this year, compared to 200 at the same time in 2022.
A breeder in Surrey recently surrendered 17 dogs, including 11 eight-day-old Labrador retrievers, three 10-week-old border collie-cross puppies, and five adult retriever mixes.
“Many of the puppies coming into SPCA care are from individuals who turned to breeding to make money during the COVID pandemic when the demand for pets was high, but who are now overwhelmed with the costs of caring for animals as the market for their puppies has decreased,” the society said in a news release.
According to Eileen Drever, the BC SPCA’s senior officer for protection and stakeholder relations, the most recent batch of puppies were sick with roundworm and giardia, a parasitic infection that causes diarrhea, and often comes from contaminated water, food, or contact with infected animals.
The influx has strained the society’s resources, she added.
“Although puppies do tend to get adopted more quickly than adult dogs, puppies and their moms require a huge commitment of time and energy from the BC SPCA’s foster volunteers,” said Drever.
“Moms and their puppies require round-the-clock care until the puppies are weaned. The puppies also need to be house-trained and socialized.”
The BC SPCA said it doesn’t foresee a slowdown in dogs being dropped on its doorstep and encouraged the public to buy pets from reputable breeders, or better — adopt one from the SPCA.
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