Kingston, Ont. Humane Society so overwhelmed with pets it can't accept any more
The Kingston Humane Society says it is overwhelmed with dogs and cats and the situation is so dire that it will stop accepting animal surrenders from the public for a week while they figure out what to do next.
Right now, it has 248 animals in its care, far more than the 144 for which it has capacity.
Nine dogs have been brought to the shelter in the last two weeks alone. Operations manager Sandra Scouten says the humane society is being forced to close its doors to the public for a few days to stem the tide.
"Truly alarming to have this many animals in our care, more than we can house," she says. "If our foster families went away, it would be a problem."
Scouten says the closure is about giving staff more time to find homes for the animals that are already in their care. But it also means they won't be able to take any more surrenders from the public during that time.
"We want to make sure that they are able to follow up on applications, to process them, do reference checks," Scouten says. "It's really important that we do our due diligence to help find that right fit for that furry family member."
Diamond, a happy and healthy boxer, is one of more than 50 dogs in the care of the Kingston Humane Society right now. Executive Director Gord Hunter says she's patiently waiting for her forever home.
"She's kinda quiet," he explains. "I've never heard her bark, she's a sweetheart."
Diamond came to the humane society from a veterinary clinic because her vet bills were so high after she lost a leg to cancer that her owners were forced to give her up.
"We're seeing that more and more," he says. "We're getting calls from local clinics where people are bringing their animals in for care and when they recognize that it's going to be $1,000 or $2,000 for that particular animal to get properly treated, they can't afford that."
Hunter says the surge in pets at the humane society is caused by an "imperfect storm" of factors.
"We're not the only ones in this boat; every animal welfare organization in Ontario, and probably across Canada, are experiencing something similar," he says.
"They've had more animals than they've ever had. They're trying to get animals into homes, and they have spiraling costs they have to deal with. They have owners that can't afford care or, if they got a pandemic animal, they didn't really consider what life would be like once they returned to – quote, unquote - normal life. So all those situations have combined."
The closure is expected to last until Saturday at least. Hunter says during the closure they will be available for drop-offs of strays by the municipal pound services.
Now happy, healthy, and cancer-free, dogs like Diamond are hoping to find that forever home in that time.
"Hopefully by the end of the week we're able to move those animals out and make some more room," Hunter said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus survives vote calling for his ouster
Greg Fergus survived a vote to oust him as House of Commons Speaker on Tuesday, but with close to half of MPs expressing a loss of confidence in him, he faces a precarious path forward in maintaining order in Parliament.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
BREAKING Teen dies after being hit by train in N.W. Calgary
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
'It's his vacation too': Jimmy the baby goat joins 2-week road trip across Canada
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
Widespread theft costing Canada's retail industry dearly: experts
The Retail Council of Canada wants to put a stop to widespread theft within the retail industry, and industry leaders are meeting this week to find solutions.
Former South Dakota mayor charged with triple homicide
Three people were shot to death in a small South Dakota town, and a former law officer who once served as the town's mayor is charged in the killings.