'Everything has gone up': Animal shelters struggling to keep up with rising costs
Pet rescues are feeling the pinch with the cost of food, gas and many other items only getting pricier, making it all the more difficult for shelters to operate.
It's a busy room of felines at Miss J.LA's Fur Babies Cat Cafe and Adoption Centre, as the business holds one last fundraiser in its current location before moving.
The fundraiser is of increased importance as the cost of taking care of so many cats has gone up dramatically.
"Even looking for a place to rent, everything has gone up since we were looking in 2018," said owner Jennifer Laferriere in an interview on Sunday. "So costs are going up. Cat food's gone up, litter is going up, everything, vet care."
To help cover costs, Laferriere uses a variety of funds, even starting a GoFundMe page to raise money for a new location.
"When we are open, we charge to see the kitties. That goes to taking care of them," she said. "We rely on donations. We do monthly auctions just to get a new location."
It's a similar story at Tails for Freedom Rescue.
The organization is averaging about $10,000 a month in vet bills -- a large cost when fewer donations are coming in.
"We're definitely seeing a slowdown because people are feeling the impacts of inflation themselves, and it's taking more money to run their household, and there's less leftover to help rescues," said Andrea Hilderman, the rescue's spay and neuter coordinator.
Tails for Freedom Rescue is also seeing fewer people volunteering to drive cats, something made worse with each jump at the pump.
"I always say at the end of our clinics that without drivers we don't have clinics," Hilderman said. "Our clinics are primarily in Treherne, with our vet in Treherne, and so we require people to get up at five o'clock in the morning and take 10 cats out to Treherne."
The driver shortage is also hitting the Animal Food Bank, which is still seeing increased demand for food and pet supplies.
"The delivery model is really close to my heart. It's how I founded the food bank, so I’d really like it to stay that way, and so we're hoping that we see a reprieve in costs because it is impacting our ability to provide food and supplies to pets in need," explained Nicole Wilks, founder of Animal Food Bank.
According to Wilks, the price of pet food has also risen, which is a problem as the organization is seeing a decrease in donations.
"All of the pet food manufacturers and the wholesalers are experiencing the same price increases, and you know it goes down the line,” Wilks said
Even with all the increases in fees and hardships, helping the animals is well worth it for the organizations.
"That's the whole goal. That's what we're here for, to save them and get them into a home where they're going be loved," said Laferriere.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.