Animal cruelty and neglect complaints are on the rise, according to the New Brunswick SPCA.
Executive Director Lesley Rogers says investigations are up 11 percent over last year.
This includes more cases of animal abandonment, due to inflation, “Pet owners are having difficulty managing their pets, finding suitable accommodation where they can take their pets or just not being able to afford them, and the shelters are full.”
She says just this week, they tried to identify the owners of three cats left in crates behind an apartment building in the Greater Saint John area. “I think that’s happening a lot throughout the province.”
Rogers says 60 percent of New Brunswick households have pets, and the owners are now saying they have to choose between food or gas and the cost to look after their animals.
She says it has been a bit of a juggling act as well for the shelters, “Finding the right spots and then getting the animals to good health so they can find their new forever homes. The shelters are working very hard. Meantime, endowments are down, donations are also down and inflation is affecting the costs of doing business. So it’s a bit of a perfect storm if you will. Each shelter is its own charitable organization, and they do local fundraisers in their communities. A lot of the traditional ones, haven’t really been possible during the last two years with the pandemic.”
The New Brunswick SPCA is working in a partnership along with eight shelters, recently starting a weekly 50/50 in an effort to raise additional funds.
Rogers suggests if you are a pet owner and you are struggling to care for your pet, reach out to a local shelter, “Often they have resources for kibble banks and other kinds of support for people who are struggling. Also, talk to them about the various ways and options you may have. But there are other options other than leaving your animal in a crate behind a building. I think it’s important to reach out first.”
