The City of Calgary’s Animal Services is putting out the call for more Calgarians with the means to adopt a pet this fall, with animal shelters around the city already full up.
Already in the first two weeks of September, Animal Services has taken in 162 cats and has had trouble transferring them to other shelters.
The fall marks the busiest time for intakes for Animal Services, but increased pressures on pet owners from the economy have led to increased pet surrenders. Fewer adoptions from able owners means less space for those intakes.
Ashley de Nooiji, Coordinator for Administration and Pet Licensing at Animal Services, said that over the next two weeks, the city will be holding pet adoption events to get both cats and dogs into the hands of more Calgarians.
“We do have reduced adoption fees. So they are, cats are $84 right now, and dogs are $100 next weekend… so reduced fees as well as an extended free license. So we’re hoping that we can clear the shelter with those reduced fees right now,” she said.
“Come on in. We say, ‘buy one, get one free.’ So come on in and get some kittens and take them home.”
One of the attendees who lined up for the opening cat adoption event on Sept. 25, was Marcela Milani.
She said that she had recently fostered a cat from the Cochrane Humane Society, and that when she heard the call for adoptions in Calgary, she decided to come and adopt two cats.
“Well, one was Cheeto, which already has been adopted, and I’m waiting for Blue Collar, so I’m just gonna have to choose somebody else,” said Milani.
“I believe that to give a good home to a cat is love.”
While cats were going fast on Thursday morning, de Nooiji said that there was no risk of the cats being euthanized if they weren’t adopted.
“There are no kill shelters in the city, so we hold on to them for as long as we need to. We just hope that they can find a home in time. So really, it’s about making sure they find a home rather than staying in a shelter,” she said.
“We just want to get them into a comfortable home, have them sleep on a bed at night instead of in a kennel.”
She said that the City of Calgary was asking prospective new pet owners to be responsible.
“Understanding our responsible pet ownership bylaws, as well as understanding the cost of owning an animal for its lifetime–cats can live 15 to 20 years. So, just understanding that this is a huge commitment. You reap rewards for sure of having that pet in your home but it is a commitment and responsibility, so just don’t take it lightly,” said de Nooiji.
