Sick, abandoned pets in Calgary on the rise as spay/neuter program remains suspended

Calling it a heartbreaking situation, a Calgary animal rescue group says it’s seeing more sick, surrendered, and abandoned pets as the city’s low-cost spay and neuter program remains suspended.

The Animal Rescue Foundation of Alberta is among the many groups feeling the impacts since the program was put on pause by the city last year.

“We definitely have been seeing a lot more surrender requests coming in specifically because they aren’t able to afford or access spay or neuter for their pets,” explained Rachael Finseth, cat program manager.

Since the city suspended its program, pet owners have been turning to the foundation for subsidized procedures on a daily basis.

But the organization simply can’t help all of them.

“We have also been hearing more from residents just outside the city that they are finding more particularly boxes of kittens near their homes and on their properties that they usually haven’t been getting before,” Finseth added.

As the population of abandoned pets grows, so do the illnesses the animals face.

“There are so many diseases we have seen on these abandoned animals. It’s so sad,” said Dr. Thusari Warnakulasooriya, veterinarian, Sanctuary Animal Hospital.

The city says the fair entry spay/neuter program was suspended as a safety measure to reduce traffic in the animal services facility. It adds it will relaunch it in February, with more information to come in the new year.

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In the meantime, a lack of affordable spay and neuter programs teamed with the economic hit COVID-19 has taken on some pet owners, have left some with no choice but to give up their animals.

“It’s definitely very heartbreaking to see them have to give up their animals that they have considered to be a part of their family,” Finseth said.

She adds the Animal Rescue Foundation is seeing double the number of animals needing homes as it did pre-pandemic.

“It’s really, really important to control the situation right now going on for the sake of the animal(s),” Warnakulasooriya told CityNews.

The Animal Rescue Foundation is looking for donations to accommodate more spay and neuter requests, as well as dog and cat food.