'It's desperate times': Surge in strays and surrendered pets putting strain on animal shelters

Ten-month-old Pecan jumps for a treat, tail wagging energetically, before he jumps up for hugs with the staff at the city’s Animal Services. Pecan is part of a surge in stray or surrendered pets in Winnipeg that has shelters asking for help.

There are 42 stray dogs in the care of the Winnipeg Animal Services – nearly double the facility’s normal capacity.

“When we're at 40 to 45 dogs in the facility, it's providing basic care,” said Jennifer Harrower, acting general manager of Animal Services for the city.

“With these high numbers, we are seeing compassion fatigue and burnout with our staff, which is concerning. We try to strive to do the best that we can. But when the numbers are this high, unfortunately, the staff are affected as well.”

It’s a problem being felt at the Winnipeg Humane Society too.

“We started to see a surge post-pandemic, and it's gotten to the point now where it seems to be the new normal,” said Jessica Miller, CEO of the Winnipeg Humane Society.

As of Thursday, the shelter had 482 animals in care – that includes 280 in the shelter, 183 in foster homes and 18 in satellite locations.

The shelter is so full, that the humane society said it had to turn away 30 animals on Wednesday.

“It's desperate times here. I would say the 30-plus is beginning to be the new normal,” Miller said. “That's really unfortunate for the staff and the animals here, because what it means for the staff is that they're exhausted, they're burnt out.”

But she says Winnipeggers can help.

For pet owners, she urges them to make sure their animals are spayed or neutered.

“We can't keep creating more and more animals that we just don't have homes for,” she said.

For those hoping to make a four-legged addition to the family, Miller said adopt – don’t shop.

“We have perfectly lovely animals waiting here, and sometimes for long periods of time for someone to come and give them their next best life.”

More details about fostering or adopting animals can be found online with the Winnipeg Humane Society or Winnipeg Animal Services.