Like so many other things these days, the rising cost of caring for pets is forcing some pet owners with sick or injured animals to make difficult decisions.
The Humane Society of Kitchener, Waterloo, Stratford and Perth (HSKWSP) said 438 animals were surrendered in 2023. Many of them are surrendered for medical reasons, meaning pet owners are forced to surrender them after being unable to pay expensive veterinary bills.
A cat named Mio recently arrived at the K-W location with broken ribs and a punctured abdomen. That same day, at their Stratford store, a dog named Tony came in with a dislocated hip and multiple fractures to his pelvis. Both pets were medically surrendered.
Their veterinary bills totaled about $8,500.
HSKWSP hopes to raise funds to pay for these life-saving surgeries.
“As a charity, our charitable programs and services are not government funded, so we rely on community support,” said Calla James, HSKWSP director of community engagement and outreach.
According to James, they’ve been getting a lot of calls lately from pet owners who don’t know how they can afford to care for their pets.
She said owners should also consider other avenues before surrendering their pets.
“We try to connect them with other options, like payment plans, like funding organizations. If they’re a low-income family, we try to connect them with a low-income care clinic,” James said.
