Saskatchewan animal shelters say affordability is playing a part in the increasing amounts of animals released.
The consumer price index in the province has risen from seven per cent to 8.1 per cent. With things priced so high these days, the Regina Humane Society says this is a big reason for the increase in abandoned pets.
“We’ve certainly seen an increase in animals coming through our doors from 2021 to 2022,” said Bill Thorne, director of marketing and public relations at the Regina Humane Society. “We’ve seen a nearly double increase in the cost of caring for an animal in terms of surrender.”
The Regina Humane Society has been operating at full capacity for most of the year, putting real pressure on its efforts.
“It puts a lot of pressure on our resources.[We have]the dedication to work with communities where we also have to go on waiting lists because we need to make sure we have the proper resources to care for these animals. Huh.
The Saskatoon SPCA is another shelter that has seen an increase in surrenders. It’s also full and a waiting list has to be set up for animals that owners want to leave.
Trina Mortsten, executive executive director of the Saskatoon SPCA, said, “This is not a situation that is probably going to go away, but it is unfortunate that there are now people who find themselves in a situation where they need to surrender their animal. is required.”
Mortson agrees that the rising cost of living has been a factor in the animals being abandoned.
Concordia University economics professor Moshe Lander says the inflation rate is here for at least another year.
“The reality is we’ve got another 12-18 months of average inflation,” Lander said.
The Humane Society provides support to pet owners who may survive surrender.
“There are feeding programs, there are outreach programs that we have that will help and we always work with the community to help pets stay in their homes,” Thorne said.
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