The Calgary Humane Society (CHS) initiated its first community spay and neuter clinic on Thursday, responding to a notable rise in owner-surrendered animals in need of shelter across the city.
CHS CEO Carrie Fritz highlighted a dramatic 200 percent increase in the number of puppies arriving at the shelter compared to two years ago.
“Five years ago, you would rarely see a puppy in our shelter, and when they did arrive, they were quickly adopted,” Fritz explained. “Now, these puppies are coming in and waiting a long time to find homes. We want to address the root cause of this issue.”
CHS recently gained approval to open its spay and neuter clinic and received an overwhelming 30 applications within the first 24 hours of its announcement last week.
The program, designed for low-income families, charges $40 for pet owners with cats or dogs between six months and six years old.
The clinics aim to control the animal population following consecutive years of increased puppy intakes in southern Alberta shelters. So far, over 90 dog and cat owners have applied for the program, which has garnered $73,000 in donations.
“The generosity of Calgarians allows us to run these programs well into the fall,” Fritz added. “We hope to assist owners in every quadrant of the city to effectively address this need.”
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