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
Adding just 10% ultraprocessed foods to healthy diets may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations
Many of the more seriously injured people who were on the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence need operations on their spines, a Bangkok hospital said Thursday.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
Tiny plastic shards found in human testicles, study says
Human testicles contain microplastics and nanoplastics at levels three times higher than animal testes and human placentas, a new small study found.
A U.K. lawmaker returns to work as 'the bionic MP' after losing his hands and feet to sepsis
Britain's fractious politicians shared a rare moment of unity on Wednesday, when a Conservative lawmaker returned to work six months after sepsis put him in a coma and forced the amputation of his hands and feet.
Nine killed in Mexico stage collapse at campaign event
A stage collapsed at a Mexican election campaign rally on Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring dozens as high winds tore apart the large, concert-style structure, scattering politicians and attendees.
NEW AI helping to identify undiagnosed genetic disorders in children
Researchers have developed the world's first algorithm powered by artificial intelligence to identify children with undiagnosed rare genetic disorders.