George, 6 year-old boxer available for adoption at Kamloops BC SPCA (Image Credit: CFJC News)

By Sydney Chisholm

COVID PUPPIES

With COVID demand for pets waning, Kamloops SPCA inundated with surrendered animals

Feb 10, 2023 | 4:48 PM

KAMLOOPS – In the wake of COVID-19 restrictions, the BC SPCA is seeing a flood of intakes.

Shelters across the province have waitlists of people looking to surrender their animals, and according to the BC SPCA, many backyard breeders who got into the puppy game during the pandemic are now losing money as people return to work and the demand for animals has disappeared.

During the pandemic, the Kamloops SPCA had no problem finding new homes for dogs in their care.

According to the local shelter, animal adoptions skyrocketed once lockdowns started.

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“Everybody wanted a puppy, and everybody wanted a kitten during that time,” said Ashley Fontaine-Ost, BC SPCA Thompson-Nicola Region senior manager.

Local breeders also noticed a surge in requests for puppies

“We got an increase – like we were getting 10, sometimes 12 contacts a day,” said Donna Mari McKay of Red Don Corgis.

McKay added she had a waitlist of more than 300 people during the pandemic.

According to the BC SPCA, the increased demand drove puppy prices up and many people without any breeding experience began breeding dogs during the pandemic.

Fontaine-Ost said in the last few months the animal welfare group has seen more and more backyard breeders either surrendering their puppies or actually having them seized by welfare officers due to neglect.

“Now we are seeing the fallout of that,” Fontaine-Ost said. “The demand isn’t there so they’re not able to have people adopt the puppies and it’s putting a huge financial burden on people.”

Even animals who were taken home as COVID adoptions are finding their way back to the shelter. The BC SPCA is seeing animals being either returned or just abandoned.

“There’s lots of different things that we are seeing as well,” Fontaine-Ost said. “A lot of people are just abandoning their animals, sometimes at our doorstep, sometimes on the street so then we’re seeing strays come in.”

A majority of these new intakes are COVID puppies.

“Among the animals on our waitlist — particularly the dogs on our waitlist – is a significant increase in dogs that are between a year to three years old who have significant behavioural challenges,” Daria Evans, Kamloops BC SPCA animal centre manager, told CFJC News.

Because of this, Evans said they are harder to adopt and need more time and resources once at the shelter.

“When we get a dog or a cat, that can’t be around other animals maybe they are stressed about new situations or new people,” she said. “It’s a lot more challenging to find people who are willing and able to work with those kinds of issues.”

Currently, all 10 of the Kamloops branch’s dog kennels are full.

In an effort to find forever homes for these and many other animals currently up for adoption, the BC SPCA is offering 50 per cent off all adoption fees until Feb. 26.