It’s not just people who are looking forward to being with their families this holiday season.
About 200 domestic animals are looking for homes this month as the North Cariboo branch of the BC SPCA participates in the organization’s Home for the Holidays pet adoption drive.
Across the province there are 4,000 homeless cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, rabbits and other small animals in shelter care.
“At the SPCA, we obviously are saying that we discourage giving pets as gifts, but if families have given it careful consideration, we encourage them to come over and adopt an animal,” said branch manager Angela McLaren.
Families are more likely to be off of work or school during the holidays and have more time to spend with, and adapt to, their new animal companion.
“Our staff and volunteers do an outstanding job of nurturing the animals in our care, but there is no substitute for being part of a permanent, loving family,” said Lorie Chortyk, general manager of community relations for the BC SPCA, in a press release. “What better gift to a homeless animal than a caring family and a warm home?”
The North Cariboo branch of the SPCA is the second busiest in the province, McLaren said. However, that is an improvement from being B.C.’s busiest ever since the addition of a spay and neuter clinic, which has led to a 25 per cent decline in animals brought in.
Annually, about 2,500 animals still come through their doors from Prince George, Bear Lake, Fort St. James, McBride, Mackenzie, McLeod Lake, Valemont and Vanderhoof.
McLaren said abandoned cats are a big problem for the local shelter, as they are across the province.
“People think cats are disposable,” McLaren said.
“People will dump them at the SPCA and get another one, if needed.”
The manager said it’s also a good time to foster an animal for a few weeks.
“If people want to open up their homes over the Christmas season, there’s no obligation to adopt.”
By taking in animals on a foster basis, it frees up a bit of space at the shelter and allows staff the opportunity to do things such as fully sanitize the space.
“If we didn’t have foster homes, I don’t know what we would do,” McLaren said.
For example, if kittens are too young to be left at the shelter, they look for foster homes and some people may be compelled to foster animals after seeing them in someone else’s home.
“People have a lot more [visitors] coming through their homes than we may have in the shelter,” McLaren said.
Prospective animal parents can search SPCA animals online at www.spca.bc.ca or visit the shelter in person at 4011 Lansdowne Rd. Tuesday through Saturday.
