WINNIPEG – One Winnipeg rescue shelter says more owners are surrendering their pets, as costs continue to rise. Carla Martinelli-Irvine says her shelter, Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter (WPRS), has taken nearly 200 animals this year. “We are struggling,” Martinelli-Irvine, its founder and executive director, told CTV News. One of those surrenders is a 6-year-old Chihuahua named Hero. He was brought into the shelter about two weeks ago, with severe injuries from the top of his tail all the way to his neck. It’s believed Hero was attacked by a larger dog. “A gentleman walked in with him, put him on the desk, and said, ‘I can’t afford the vet bills,’ and turned and walked out,” Martinelli-Irvine said. “When we looked at the dog, we were absolutely appalled.” The founder of the shelter says the infection was so severe the vet believes Hero was injured more than a week before he arrived at the shelter. “I can’t imagine the horror and the pain that this dog must have felt,” she said. “It’s unbearable and we are seeing more and more of this.” The Winnipeg Humane Society is seeing a similar trend, reporting that 500 pets came into its care last month, including 150 surrendered by their owners. That’s an increase from June, when 461 pets arrived at the shelter, with roughly the same number of owner surrenders. The CEO of the Humane Society says the cases coming in are becoming more complex. “We are seeing animals potentially later, with significantly more pressing medical and or behavioural needs, so requiring greater resources,” said Christina Von Schindler. “We do know that the leading cause for surrenders is an inability to pay… often vet services or the animal has developed a significant medical issue that the owner just can’t afford to pay for the treatment.” Von Schindler says the increase in surrenders is pushing the shelter to capacity, which is having an impact on staff, adding that prevention is key. The Humane Society offers inner-city, low cost spay neuter programs. “We need more,” she said. “We need more of those types of accessible access for people or accessible veterinary care for people, including preventative.” The Humane Society has also slashed adoption fees by half until Aug. 23, hoping to get folks to adopt. Shelters in other cities across the country are doing similar promotions, as they continue to see more pets come in. Mississauga Animal Services is offering $25 adoption for all dogs and cats at the shelter until Aug. 22. “This reduced adoption fee offers significant savings compared to regular fees, which are typically $280 plus HST for dogs and puppies and up to $190 plus HST for cats and kittens,” the release on its website reads. As more animals come through the doors, shelters like the WPRS are feeling the strain. “The Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter is the first no-kill animal shelter in Manitoba, and we are really struggling,” Martinelli-Irvine said. “Just little Hero’s vet bills alone is $7,000, and that doesn’t count the care that he is going to get here, the food, etc. So, we are seeing more and more of that.” “We’ve got a long way to go, so if people can support us, they can go online to petrescueshelter.com, or they can even become a monthly donor, which they can get for $10 a month,” she said. Martinelli-Irvine says more affordable access to veterinary care could help prevent cases like Hero’s from becoming emergencies in the first place. “I think Canadians as a whole are struggling and it really affects the animals because they’re often the last to get what they need, so people are relinquishing them,” she said. “They can’t afford them, and unfortunately, many are regularly sick because they can’t afford them, which is so sad because that puts the burden on the Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter.”
