Calgary Humane Society at capacity as kennels full and hundreds of dogs on waitlist - CBC.ca

The Calgary Humane Society says it's facing an urgent situation as the facility has reached capacity — and it's asking people to consider adopting.

With every kennel full and 265 dogs on its waitlist as of Friday, a spokesperson for the shelter says she's concerned about its ability to help the community with programs, including emergency boarding. 

"We are at capacity right now. We are over capacity actually, so what that means for us is that every single kennel is full," said Anna-Lee Fitzsimmons, associate director of community engagement with the Calgary Humane Society.   

She said there are more than 400 animals in care, some of which are in foster homes. All of the kennels at the shelter are occupied, Fitzsimmons said.

"We are growing concerned about our ability to be able to help the community with different programs like emergency boarding in cases of emergency, given what's going on with the provincial wildfires, we just want to make sure we're prepared to do a large intake if we need to." 

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Fitzsimmons said the bottleneck is due to slower adoptions and more people who need their help. 

She said she thinks the increased cost of living is impacting households, and their adoption choices. 

"There has been a rise in the cost of care just like everything else that Albertans are paying for when it comes to a household right now," Fitzsimmons said. "So there has been an increase in care costs and I think maybe that could be impacting people's decision making." 

She added that the wildfires and summer vacation plans could also be creating apprehension to take on a new pet. 

For those who are looking for a pet, consider going through a pet rescue facility, like the humane society, Fitzsimmons said.

She added that the humane society offers adoption packages, which include a free behavioural consult, a food hamper, and six weeks of complimentary pet insurance.

Other alternatives, she says, is having people foster pets or take part in their sleepover program, which allows for the adoption of a pet for up to a week, at no cost.

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Calgary Humane Society at capacity as kennels full and hundreds of dogs on waitlist - CBC.ca
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