Edmonton’s Humane Society has expressed its delight after witnessing a surge in the number of people looking to adopt owner-surrendered animals.
The influx in interest came after the group was forced to stop accepting new animals at its shelter in the city. The decision was made to close the doors when the facility’s staff became overwhelmed with the number of unwanted pets being handed over – it’s the first time in the Society’s 106-year history that it has had to turn animals and their struggling owners away.
Once word got out about the issue, people started to arrive from all over the region to express their interest in taking one of the pets home with them, much to the relief of the shelter’s staff.
After the Fort McMurray SPCA helped by taking in 10 cats, the rest of the animals - a mix of cats and dogs - went to loving homes in and around Edmonton.
The response was so great that 70 people were lined up waiting for the doors to open on Saturday morning. By the end of the day, 66 shelter residents were on their way to settle in their new lives. The facility usually sees between 10 and 20 animals off on a normal day.
The Humane Society is also encouraging members of the public to have their pets spayed or neutered, and has used the help of a poster printing company to spread the word. It is hoping to help control the population of unwanted cats and dogs by tackling the problem at its root.
