(Prince Albert SPCA/ Facebook)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Large Population At SPCA

P.A. SPCA seeing high number of abandoned pets, stray animals

Sep 23, 2021 | 8:00 AM

The Prince Albert SPCA is seeing a high number of strays and abandoned animals come through their doors.

Since the start of the year, the organization has brought in over 700 pets.

Manager Ashlee Bober says they can tell some of the animals were abandoned by previous owners.

“They aren’t always seen in time or found in time and that’s not fair to them, they’re more valuable than that,” she said.

They don’t have an exact number for how many were left on the streets, however, the SPCA states they’ve seen quite a few. Most of the animals brought in have been cats.

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Simply put, they have too many to count.

“We have a large number of cats right now in our care that are still waiting to get adopted,” Bober said.

Along with the high number of animals coming into the shelter, many have already found their forever home.

In the first roughly nine months of 2021, 524 pets have been adopted.

This is higher than the 450 who were picked up at the shelter during the same period of 2020.

Thirty-two were rodents as the organization decided to start accepting different types of animals at their shelter.

This included rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, domestic rats and mice, gerbils, and birds.

Bober notes the high adoption rates have allowed them to keep nearly all the animals who come through the door as they would have had to find another shelter to house them if there was no room left.

“We do have a steady flow of adoptions going out and people coming interested in adopting the animals that are here which has been able to help maintain our population,” she explained.

Meanwhile, the SPCA is reminding anyone who’s thinking of adopting to make sure they’re fully prepared to do so.

Costs can climb quickly due to food, veterinary care, and other expenses.

Many cats have also been known to live around 20 years, while the average lifespan for dogs is around 15.

“It’s a lengthy commitment,” Bober added.

“It’s not a small task, you are taking on a life and that life is precious.”

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow