The intake of healthy animals is being restricted at the Lethbridge Animal Shelter. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge Animal Shelter restricting intake of healthy animals

Aug 9, 2024 | 12:43 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Community Animal Services in Lethbridge says it is in an unfortunate spot where it can no longer take in every animal that is brought to it.

It has enacted a new temporary rule where it is restricting intake for all healthy dogs and cats.

Director Skylar Plourde says the city-run shelter has been at or near capacity for the last several months.

“We saw a very drastic intake of abandoned animals at the end of spring and into the early summer with the majority of those animals not being claimed, then slow adoption during the summer months,” says Plourde.

He explains that it is a situation he has noticed building since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

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Health restrictions lead many people to seek companionship through pets, so Plourde says animals were being adopted in high numbers across Canada. Breeding then became a popular career or side hustle as people looked for ways to make money during the lockdowns.

“Now, we’re dealing with the outcome of that,” says Plourde. “We’re dealing with juvenile dogs that are, you know, three or four years old, or less, so it’s obvious that those dogs were born during the beginning of the pandemic.”

At the same time, continued economic hardships have lead to less families adopting pets and more people feeling like they have no choice but to abandon them.

Adoption numbers being down means that cats and dogs are spending greater amounts of time in the shelter.

“Pre-COVID at our facility, our average stay was approximately 12 days for an animal in the shelter. That would be from the time of their intake until either being claimed or adopted,” Plourde explains. “At the worst time post-COVID-19, we were at 37.5 day average. Right now, we’re at about 33.5.”

He says they currently have one dog who has been living at the shelter for nearly 450 days while two others have their one-year anniversaries this month.

“A shelter is intended to be a temporary space for unhoused animals. It’s not meant to be long-term.”

To view all pets who are up for adoption, go to the Community Animal Services website.

READ MORE: Outdoor dog run opens at Lethbridge Animal Shelter

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