After Laverne, a two-year-old American Pitbull Terrier, arrived at the Edmonton Humane Society (EHS) in mid-August, she quickly became a favourite of the staff.
She’s both a bundle of energy and a calm companion, learning tricks such as ‘shake a paw’ and ‘sit.’ She’s eager and loyal. When her current foster mom is not taking her for a walk or a run in the park, Laverne is content to curl up and sleep beside her foster mom. Still, Laverne has been waiting for adoption for almost seventy days now.
Unfortunately, Laverne is one of an increasing number of ownerless dogs in Alberta. In 2023, they admitted 3,962 animals; this year, they’re already at 3,800. And there are still two months left in the year! “People are facing many unexpected life challenges, particularly with the rising cost of living, which impacts their ability to care for their pets,” says Liza Sunley, CEO of the Edmonton Humane Society.
The EHS has seen a significant increase in the number of pets surrendered because of their owners’ housing issues. In the past two years, 25% of animals arrived at the EHS because their owners could not find pet-friendly housing, had problems with their landlords, or became homeless.
In an email to TheRockies Life, the EHS stated, “Housing issues are now the fastest-growing reason for surrenders, and we expect nearly double the number of housing-related surrender requests in 2024 compared to last year.”
At 52 pounds, Laverne is a large dog. In Alberta, landlords have the right to choose what kind of pets they allow in the places they are leasing. It’s rare to find landlords that permit dogs of Laverne’s size.
Animals’ training matters much more than their size, and there are no significant differences between the damage tenants with pets do to apartments versus tenants without pets. Still, most landlords only lease to people with small pets or, more often, no pets. Those who own big dogs must search far and wide to find a place to accept their animal. Big dog owners who lose stable housing and must move to a new place are often forced to give up their pets.
UPDATE: We are happy to report that the EHS contacted TheRockies.Life to tell us that Laverne was adopted on November 7! Yippee!
Partnerships Enhance Dog Welfare
Life at a shelter can be hard on dogs. Like humans, dogs are very social and get attached to the people around them. They do best when they have one consistent owner. If they live at a shelter for too long, the instability can lead them to lose their social skills and develop behaviour problems.
The EHS has programs to ensure that pets get adopted as quickly as possible and are ready for adoption when the time comes. Volunteers walk the dogs and ensure they are getting socialized. The EHS also regularly places animals in foster care, which is the best option to keep them happy and secure while they await adoption.
When an animal has been at the EHS for too long, donors may choose to sponsor its adoption. They cover the adoption fee so that whoever wishes to adopt the dog can do so for free. Dog adoption fees are usually around $300, so covering this fee can remove a significant barrier for those interested in adopting. This year, the EHS also partnered with Alberta-based Champion Petfoods to offer free food for life to animals most in need.
Alberta Animal Shelters Facing Strain
Across Alberta, animal shelters are increasingly strained. The Cochrane Humane Society (CAHS) had a dog, Paddy, its longest resident ever, who was finally adopted after 729 days in the shelter! Fortunately, it was a truly happy ending!
The Cochrane Humane Society reports that an animal’s average stay has increased from 30 to 60 days since 2020. Cochrane regularly has a waitlist of 200 pets that need rescuing, a number that would have been unheard of four years ago. Paddy is just one of many long-term residents at CAHS. Stormie, another mixed-breed dog, was recently adopted after 459 days at the shelter.
Mr Worldwide, Calgary’s Humane Society’s longest resident, has been in the shelter for over 190 days and is still waiting for his forever home.
While all humane societies aim to keep animals at their facilities as short as possible, adoption times are not always within their control. Or, as the data from the last few years has shown, adoption wait times have gotten out of control.
Pandemic Pets
The rising cost of living is not the only reason for the increase. Different shelters report a variety of reasons why it’s taking longer and longer for animals to be adopted. Many people bought pets during the pandemic, as they were staying longer at home, but then once they were called back into the office, they realized that they did not have a way to keep their pet around or simply weren’t spending enough time with it for it to be well.
Because of pandemic restrictions, many dogs were not properly socialized with people and other dogs and developed behaviour issues. Owners now have to return to work without the time or skills to remediate their dog’s antisocial behaviour, opting to return ‘the problem’ dog to a humane society where it languishes in the shelter, further adding to its problems. Cochrane’s Paddy was one example, being leash reactive to other dogs, but through hard work by the CHS and Paddy’s new owner, she has a new “leash” on life.
Pet ownership can be expensive and complex, but it can benefit people in many ways, especially with a trained and socialized dog. Teenagers who care for pets have been shown to learn responsibility. For the elderly, owning a pet can help them get out of the house, get active, and meet new people. Pets bring so much well-being to their owners that they’ve even been shown to reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
So, if you are ready for responsible pet ownership, check out an Alberta shelter near you. There are many Lavernes out there waiting for love!
