An Antigonish dog shelter is overwhelmed and pleading for help as they continue to be inundated with pups that need permanent homes.
Raylene Dewan with the Coastal K9 Rescue Society tells our newsroom, over the last eight months or so, the number of dogs coming into their care, has been unmanageable.
“There’s just no relief…and due to the high cost of vet care…we have to put our prices up, to cover the cost. With the economy in the state that it’s in, people are just not adopting, and the dogs still keep coming.”
Triggered by the pandemic
This kind of surge was expected directly after the pandemic, according to Dewan, because a lot of people were off work and getting money from the government.
“They had CERB money, and they were getting dogs when they typically wouldn’t have. So many people got dogs and now we’re seeing dogs being surrendered that are 2, 2.5 years old. They’re COVID dogs…and now suddenly, people can’t manage them.”
“They don’t have the money… they can’t do the vet care, and they don’t have the time anymore.”
She adds, a lot of the dogs are homeless and unvetted.
A hefty price
Taking care of the pups is expensive.
Dewan says they run a program that if you drop off a litter, they will vaccinate and spay the mom for free.
That costs an arm and a leg.
“We had a mom in last week. To be vaccinated and spayed the vet bill was $789. She is going home, but that will give you an idea of what we are paying for vet care.”
Dewan adds, other costs for dogs in their shelter, include food, and other things, so this means the $700 they receive when a dog gets adopted, barely keeps them afloat.
And the price, over the last couple of years she says, has skyrocketed about 500 per cent, making it difficult to find the adult dogs a good home- puppies get scooped up quick.
“I can remember, a couple of years back, before all this happened, I would put an adult dog up and would be adopted in two, three days. There would be so many applications. Those days are gone.”
Absolute exhaustion
Last week, Coastal K9 put a plea on social media, to create awareness of the dire state they are in.
Dewan says what triggered her to do that, was exhaustion and frustration.
“Looking for help and to kind of try to make people aware of the crisis that is going on.”
She says it’s just her and her husband who take care of the dogs, with very little help from volunteers.
Still struggling
Since the post, many have reached out looking to adopt, but circumstances often get in the way, such as not only the cost of care, but a lack of transportation.
She says, to help solve the crisis they are in, she is asking the public to spay or neuter their pet.
“It’s the most important thing. I should not have 21 puppies in my house right now because of other people not being responsible. Now, we in the animal world are left to pick up those pieces.”
