Pandemic drives demand for animal adoptions
Thousands of Calgarians find need for pets amid loneliness of pandemic
About a week after the province's first COVID-19 restrictions were introduced, Calgarian Meagan Cloutier quickly realized there's only so much that phone and video calls can do to stave off feelings of loneliness and boredom.
Cloutier, a University of Calgary student who lives alone, decided to start the process of adopting a pet, looking for the kind of companionship only four-legged friends can bring. And she wasn't alone.
Over the past nine months, thousands of Calgarians have decided to welcome animals into their homes. But demand has some of the city's rescue organizations struggling to keep up.
When Cloutier found a blackand-white male kitten on the Calgary Humane Society's website, she promptly applied to adopt him and scheduled an appointment to meet him in person.
“He's definitely a great companion, and I think a big thing with the pandemic and staying locked down, especially since I'm not going to the university, is I don't have to be anywhere other than my desk, so having something to get me out of bed is a really important thing,” she said.
Cloutier and her adopted cat, Leon, have formed a unique bond. The two could be seen together in city parks over the summer, with Leon in a harness. While hiking and camping in the mountains, even in winter, Leon goes along, peering out of a special cat backpack.
“He's just a little reminder that life is still happening and outside still exists,” she said. “Having him be there to let me know that I'm not alone is really important … I know I can always pet him and he's always there to provide some comic relief.”
The Calgary Humane Society has seen an increase in demand for dog and cat adoptions since March, but because they've been closed to the public for the past nine months, adoption numbers are down from 2019.
“The demand for animals has been steady and even increasing since the pandemic started, and so much of that has to do with the fact that so many people are at home, they have more time on their hands and they realize that in a time like this, an animal is a perfect companion,” said Jessica Bohrson of the humane society.
Bohrson said if the shelter had stayed open to the public this year, it would “be on target to be higher in every category than we were in 2019.
“We have reduced numbers (of animals) that we're able to bring in, because we're doing it by appointment only, versus just sort of come as you will all day long,” she said. “It has been going in waves, even in breeds. … Right now we have many rabbits and we have quite a few cats and have very few dogs, but a month ago we had so many dogs and we had very few cats.”
The humane society isn't the only rescue organization that has seen the increase in demand.
Cochrane's humane society is also dealing with reduced hours and reduced staff, but has seen considerable increases in a few respects.
“Our number of cats ( being adopted) has gone up significantly from 2019, where we had 719 adopted out and this year we've had 788. Dogs have gone down a bit, 709 last year over 706 this year, but they're still flying out of the shelter,” said Lisa Kedian of the Cochrane Humane Society.
Kedian added that though demand is highest for puppies and kittens, there has been an increased interest in adult and senior animals.
The shelter's adoption requirements and standards haven't changed, and Kedian said working to find the perfect home for their
animals has led to dozens of fewer surrenders than last year.
“It's a huge responsibility to take on a pet and it shouldn't be taken lightly,” she said. “We have a multitude of resources available at the shelter for adopters; they have opportunities to ask us any questions they may have, and we'll work with them on any issues to make sure they can continue on and those animals are placed long term.”
Even farther west, the Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue in Canmore is dealing with unique challenges because of where they get their rescues.
“We have a lot of people interested in adopting; however, there aren't a lot of dogs available due to the pandemic because most of our rescues come from First Nations,” said the rescue's director, Rory O'neill.
“We can't go onto the community right now because of the COVID restrictions, so there are a lot of dogs needing rescue, now more than ever, but unless they're brought to us or we're contacted by them, these dogs are homeless and dying.”
O'neill said the organization also gets dogs from Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but those provinces are also under restrictions and getting there has been impossible.
Some rescues said they have seen more requests to become foster parents to animals, of which Calgarian Sonia Lang is one.
Lang and her husband had to put down their 15-year-old golden retriever in the summer and were looking to get a new pup of the same breed. But demand across the city made it nearly impossible for them to find a dog that would be a good fit in their home, with a five-year-old and a new baby.
“We started looking and in the beginning it was very, very hard to find a golden retriever. … We tried to go through a few rescue locations, but we wanted a puppy because we wanted our kids to grow up with it,” she said. “We were even put on a three-year wait list.”
The couple ended up fostering a few dogs but none were a good fit. Eventually, they found a breeder through Kijiji who delivered their new puppy, Riggs, in mid- October.
“It's been incredible for my son, who's five; he can't go outside and play with the other kids or go to anyone's house and he's very outgoing, so at school, with the masks, he couldn't even make friends in the beginning,” she said.
When they brought Riggs home, Lang saw an immediate change in her son, she said.
“My son loves the dog. … They go outside, they're best friends, they sleep together, they play together. To see my son have something to lift his spirits is incredible.”
Bohrson said she anticipates a few returns to shelters as people start to go back to work and leave the house more, but they're doing everything possible to keep those numbers low.
“Just give us a call and work with us. We have behavioural counselling over the phone to help with things like separation anxiety and other issues that might arise,” she said.
“The most important thing for us is that the animal is in a safe and happy home.”