
Animal Rescue Crew raising $20,000 to keep pets with parents who can't afford to keep them
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The Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society says they were forced to close the program 'due to limited funding and unprecedented demand,' after originally opening in December 2024. On July 16, they announced their goal of raising $20,000 to reopen the program and keep pets in the hands of owners who already love and care for them.
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They've set a goal of $15,000 in public donations, with an additional $5,000 being matched by the City of Calgary. By the time of publication, they are nearly 50 per cent of the way there.
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'This $20,000 would last approximately four months, give or take,' said Deanna Thompson, executive director of the rescue crew society. 'It all depends on what cases we would be working with. It would help approximately 75 animals.' That averages to roughly $265 per pet.
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'We're talking about a single mom needing help to keep her dog, a senior trying to get vet care for her cat, or a family choosing between groceries and emergency surgery,' Thomson said.
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They most often get requests to provide assistance for spay and neuter procedures, or humane euthanasia. They also assist with broken bones, infections, vaccinations, other illnesses, and even food assistance for those struggling to make ends meet.
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'If the owner feels they are not prepared and still want to surrender, we will take the animal if we have space, provide the care and adopt them out,' Thomson said.
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The Calgary Humane Society also provides numerous services designed to keep animals with owners, and is also able to provide said programs thanks to charitable donations.
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Anna-Lee Fitzsimmons, their director of public relations, said the importance of keeping pets in homes as twofold.
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'It is stressful for that animal, to have to be moved from a home they're familiar with, and then be moved to a shelter setting,' she said. 'We also recognize that it's incredibly hard for the person, for the human involved with that animal, to have to surrender their animal when they feel they have no other choice.'
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'The relationship that humans and animals have is pretty extraordinary, they're wonderful companions to us. Companion animals aid in human welfare just as equally as we can provide to an animals welfare.'
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3 days ago
Some shelters are seeing more pet surrenders. They say the cost of living is a huge factor
A woman who can't afford her pets after her husband's death, despite working two jobs. A couple forced to downsize due to the financial strain of cancer. An owner who can't pay for the treatment for her cat's urinary condition. These are just a handful of the stories that Calgary Humane Society heard last week from pet owners forced to give up their furry family members. People having to surrender due to cost of living and cost overall — it's been literally every single intake we've done this week, Sally Johnston, director of community services, told CBC News. As costs creep up in Canada, some animal shelters and humane societies say they're seeing a worrying trend: More Canadians surrendering their pets because they simply can't afford them anymore. Others are seeing increased demand for their services like pet food banks. CBC News reached out to organizations across Canada. More than half said that they're either seeing pet surrenders go up, or hearing more people cite the cost of living for why they're parting with their pet. Calgary Humane Society has had around 200 pets waiting for intake at any given time over the last two years. Five years ago, it had no waitlist at all. Enlarge image (new window) Calgary Humane Society has been dealing with increasing pet surrenders, and it says that the rising cost of living is the main factor behind it. Photo: Calgary Humane Society Last year, B.C. SPCA handled 906 pet surrender requests, but it's already seen 800 in the first half of this year alone. Ontario SPCA has seen a 16 per cent increase this year so far. Cost-related factors accounted for 76 per cent of pet surrenders at Calgary Humane Society in 2024, and for 72 per cent of surrenders this year so far, Johnston said. When I look at our intake numbers, I really see that for the most part, people surrendering is not a choice. They're kind of forced to. In June, Montreal SPCA put out a call for donations, which the organization relies on. It, too, saw more than 2,000 pet surrenders in the first six months of 2025, an increase of 32 per cent from the same period last year, said animal advocacy director Sophie Gaillard. Enlarge image (new window) Babette, who was surrendered to Montreal SPCA because of the financial burden of veterinary care costs, is currently available for adoption. Photo: Photo provided by Montreal SPCA Between 2015 and 2020, surrenders were on a steady decline at Montreal SPCA, she said. But over the last few years, that trend has reversed: This year, it's really a record increase in animal surrenders. A perfect storm Veterinary care, housing and the overall cost of living have been rising, staff at the affected shelters say, and there is also a shortage of veterinarians. All told, it's a perfect storm for an increase in pet surrenders, Gaillard says. Finding and affording pet-friendly housing is one of the biggest problems for owners right now, according to shelters and humane societies. Several told CBC News they tend to get an influx of surrenders right before the end of the month, as people prepare to move into a new place that won't accept their pet. That struggle also disproportionately affects low-income people, Gaillard said. In Quebec, landlords were cleared to implement a record rental increase (new window) this year, exacerbating an existing housing crunch. Meanwhile, Montreal SPCA is pushing for Quebec to follow Ontario's example and ban no-pet clauses in rental agreements. Enlarge image (new window) A cat named Petrie is pictured at the Toronto Humane Society. Photo: CBC / Alex Lupul These are really gut-wrenching scenes for us to witness … on a daily basis, people who arrive at the SPCA in tears, in distress, Gaillard said. They are forced to surrender a family member, essentially, just to be able to put a roof over their heads. It's really an inhumane decision that we should not be forcing people into. For its part, the Toronto Humane Society said it hasn't seen a notable increase in surrenders. But it said more pet owners are accessing its pet food bank and attending community days to receive donated pet toys and items. From March to the end of December in 2024, the non-profit gave out just under 5,300 bags of pet food, but it's already dispensed about 5,600 bags in just the first six months of 2025. Enlarge image (new window) Toronto Humane Society has seen demand for their pet food increase significantly this year. Photo: CBC / Alex Lupul We're keeping track of how many people are coming in requesting food, said Lauralee Dorst, director of community animal welfare. And it's usually because they can't afford ... the rising cost [of] food in regular pet stores. Troubling trend, staff say Pet surrenders aren't a new phenomenon, but Johnston says it's troubling to see more people having to consider parting with beloved pets because of financial burdens. Enlarge image (new window) Liz Retter, a Toronto Humane Society volunteer, is pictured with an adoptable dog named Princess. Shelters are seeing the financial stress of pet owners manifest in an increased demand for their community services. Photo: CBC / Alex Lupul She urged pet owners to reach out to their local humane societies before they reach a breaking point, as many shelters have supports such as programs for seniors, pet retention programs or discounted veterinary care. The sooner that we engage with these folks and come up with these solutions before they even have to consider surrender, the more likely we are to prevent it all together. Alexandra Mae Jones (new window) · CBC News Alexandra Mae Jones is a senior writer for CBC News based in Toronto. She has written on a variety of topics, from health to pop culture to breaking news, and previously reported for CTV News and the Toronto Star. She joined CBC in 2024. You can reach her at


CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Some animal shelters in Canada are seeing more pet surrenders — because their owners can't afford them
A woman who can't afford her pets after her husband's death, despite working two jobs. A couple forced to downsize due to the financial strain of cancer. An owner who can't pay for the treatment for her cat's urinary condition. These are just a handful of the stories that Calgary Humane Society heard last week from pet owners forced to give up their furry family members. "People having to surrender due to cost of living and cost overall — it's been literally every single intake we've done this week," Sally Johnston, director of community services, told CBC News. As costs creep up in Canada, some animal shelters and humane societies say they're seeing a worrying trend: More Canadians surrendering their pets because they simply can't afford them anymore. Others are seeing increased demand for their services like pet food banks. CBC News reached out to organizations across Canada. More than half said that they're either seeing pet surrenders go up, or hearing more people cite the cost of living for why they're parting with their pet. Calgary Humane Society has had around 200 pets waiting for intake at any given time over the last two years. Five years ago, it had no wait list at all. Last year, B.C. SPCA handled 906 pet surrender requests, but in the first half of this year alone, it's already seen 800. Ontario SPCA has seen a 16 per cent increase this year so far. Cost-related factors accounted for 76 per cent of pet surrenders at Calgary Humane Society in 2024, and for 72 per cent of surrenders this year so far, Johnston said. "When I look at our intake numbers, I really see that for the most part, people surrendering is not a choice. They're kind of forced to." In June, Montreal SPCA put out a call for donations, which the organization relies on. It, too, saw more than 2,000 pet surrenders in the first six months of 2025, an increase of 32 per cent from the same period last year, said Sophie Gaillard, animal advocacy director. Between 2015 and 2020, surrenders were on a steady decline at Montreal SPCA, she said. But over the last few years, that trend has reversed: "This year, it's really a record increase in animal surrenders." A perfect storm Veterinary care, housing and the overall cost of living have been rising, staff at the affected shelters say, and there is also a shortage of veterinarians. All told, it's a "perfect storm" for an increase in pet surrenders, Gaillard says. Finding and affording pet-friendly housing is one of the biggest problems for owners right now, according to shelters and humane societies. Several told CBC News that they tend to get an influx of surrenders right before the end of the month, as people prepare to move into a new place that won't accept their pet. That struggle also disproportionately affects low-income people, Gaillard said. In Quebec, landlords were cleared to implement a record rental increase this year, exacerbating an existing housing crunch. Meanwhile, Montreal SPCA is pushing for Quebec to follow Ontario's example and ban no-pet clauses in rental agreements. "These are really gut-wrenching scenes for us to witness … on a daily basis, people who arrive at the SPCA in tears, in distress," Gaillard said. "They are forced to surrender a family member, essentially, just to be able to put a roof over their heads. It's really an inhumane decision that we should not be forcing people into." For its part, the Toronto Humane Society said it hasn't seen a notable increase in surrenders. But it said more pet owners are accessing its pet food bank and attending community days to receive donated pet toys and items. From March to the end of December in 2024, the non-profit gave out juts under 5,300 bags of pet food, but it's already dispensed about 5,600 bags in just the first six months of 2025. "We're keeping track of how many people are coming in requesting food," said Lauralee Dorst, director of community animal welfare, "and it's usually because they can't afford ... the rising cost [of] food in regular pet stores." Troubling trend, staff say Pet surrenders aren't a new phenomenon, but Johnston says it's troubling to see more people having to consider parting with beloved pets because of financial burdens. She urged pet owners to reach out to their local humane societies before they reach a breaking point, as many shelters have supports such as programs for seniors, pet retention programs or discounted veterinary care. "The sooner that we engage with these folks and come up with these solutions before they even have to consider surrender, the more likely we are to prevent it all together."


Calgary Herald
17-07-2025
- Calgary Herald
Animal Rescue Crew raising $20,000 to keep pets with parents who can't afford to keep them
The Compassionate Care Program originally launched with the goal of helping families being faced with the gut wrenching decision to decision to surrender their animals due to unforeseen or out-of-budget medical expenses. Article content The Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society says they were forced to close the program 'due to limited funding and unprecedented demand,' after originally opening in December 2024. On July 16, they announced their goal of raising $20,000 to reopen the program and keep pets in the hands of owners who already love and care for them. Article content Article content Article content They've set a goal of $15,000 in public donations, with an additional $5,000 being matched by the City of Calgary. By the time of publication, they are nearly 50 per cent of the way there. Article content Article content 'This $20,000 would last approximately four months, give or take,' said Deanna Thompson, executive director of the rescue crew society. 'It all depends on what cases we would be working with. It would help approximately 75 animals.' That averages to roughly $265 per pet. Article content 'We're talking about a single mom needing help to keep her dog, a senior trying to get vet care for her cat, or a family choosing between groceries and emergency surgery,' Thomson said. Article content They most often get requests to provide assistance for spay and neuter procedures, or humane euthanasia. They also assist with broken bones, infections, vaccinations, other illnesses, and even food assistance for those struggling to make ends meet. Article content Article content 'If the owner feels they are not prepared and still want to surrender, we will take the animal if we have space, provide the care and adopt them out,' Thomson said. Article content Article content The Calgary Humane Society also provides numerous services designed to keep animals with owners, and is also able to provide said programs thanks to charitable donations. Article content Anna-Lee Fitzsimmons, their director of public relations, said the importance of keeping pets in homes as twofold. Article content 'It is stressful for that animal, to have to be moved from a home they're familiar with, and then be moved to a shelter setting,' she said. 'We also recognize that it's incredibly hard for the person, for the human involved with that animal, to have to surrender their animal when they feel they have no other choice.' Article content 'The relationship that humans and animals have is pretty extraordinary, they're wonderful companions to us. Companion animals aid in human welfare just as equally as we can provide to an animals welfare.'