Latest news with #petabandonment
CTV News
01-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Pet abandonments in Quebec used to spike around Canada Day; now they're year-round
Three-year old Rocky, who is available for adoption, finishes play time with Pascale Thibaudeau, an employee at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Montreal, Que., on Friday, June 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi MONTREAL — Canada Day has traditionally been synonymous in Montreal with moving day: piles of junk on street corners, sweaty bodies carrying couches up and down the city's winding staircases — and a spike in abandoned animals at shelters. However, Montreal's SPCA is no longer seeing a big jump in animal surrenders around July 1, but that's not because people have stopped giving up their pets before moving homes. The shelter says that compared with years past, fewer residential leases terminate at the end of June; therefore, instead of abandoning their pets all at once, Montrealers area leaving their animals behind all year long. And the number of surrendered pets is increasing, a trend that Laurence Massé, executive director of the Montreal SPCA, blames on the high cost of living and on a lack of pet-friendly rentals. 'We used to see a really, really huge increase, a huge discrepancy between the surrenders in July and all of the other months,' Massé said in a recent interview. 'We don't tend to see the same increase as previously because people move all year long now.' In the first four months of 2025, the Montreal branch of the SPCA reported 1,212 animals surrendered, a 26 per cent increase over the same period in 2024. The SPCA received 3,000 surrendered pets in 2024. Ahead of July 1, the SPCA's Montreal facility was already hosting almost 200 animals: nearly 100 cats, 27 dogs, 39 small animals like rabbits, and 25 wild animals. Massé said her organization is already at 112 per cent capacity for cats and 118 per cent for dogs. 'We're never going to leave an animal behind, so we're going to open our offices, we're going to find a foster family,' Massé said. There had been concerns that animal shelters would see a major spike in abandoned pets after the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people had adopted pets during lockdowns. That anticipated wave of animal surrenders never came, but abandonments have been rising due to a complex combination of factors, Massé said. No-pet clauses in leases are a major problem, Massé said, noting that 52 per cent of Quebec families are pet owners, and 25 per cent of pets are dogs — but just 4.2 per cent of landlords permit dogs in their apartments. 'So it's really, really hard to find a place. So that's one of the biggest factors of surrender.' The SPCA has argued in favour of Civil Code changes to ban no-pet clauses. Opposition party Québec solidaire attempted to bring legislation on the issue in 2023 but failed. Martin Messier of the Quebec Landlords Association says his members would be more open to allowing pets if the Quebec government permitted landlords to collect deposits for potential pet-related damage. 'I think that for a lot of landlords, the problem is never the pet, it's always the pet owner that does not take care properly of their pet.' 'We want to make sure that we have a building in good condition … that we have other tenants that are able to enjoy their unit as well,' Messier said. In 2015 Quebec changed the legal status of animals to declare them sentient beings, not property; but legislators didn't change the rules around no-pet clauses, which remain legal. Lawyer John-Nicolas Morello, head of a non-profit committed to advocating for ethics and animal law, said the SPCA has launched a court challenge against Quebec's rules around no-pet clauses. That case, however, won't be heard for several years. Other jurisdictions have taken the lead on this issue: France and Ontario, for example, have invalidated no-pet clauses in residential leases. Morello said his organization supports the SPCA challenge, and in the meantime has created a manual to help guide tenants during lease negotiations so that landlords feel more comfortable with pets. 'Until that (legal challenge) happens, we thought that it was important to try to develop a tool to allow an informed discussion between the landlord and the tenant,' Morello said. But more and more, Massé noted, the consideration to give up a pet is a financial one. 'In the last two years, we tend to see an increase in surrenders for economic reasons,' Massé said. 'We're living in an inflation context right now and unfortunately people have a hard time affording their own food. So, what about food for the animal?' The SPCA runs a program that offers food, litter and toys for pets whose owners are struggling financially. Aside from pet necessities, it's difficult for families trying to budget for potential veterinary care. 'So behind every surrender, there's (often) a financial reason, unfortunately, and we're seeing more and more this year,' Massé said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025. Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pet abandonments in Quebec used to spike around Canada Day; now they're year-round
MONTREAL — Canada Day has traditionally been synonymous in Montreal with moving day: piles of junk on street corners, sweaty bodies carrying couches up and down the city's winding staircases — and a spike in abandoned animals at shelters. However, Montreal's SPCA is no longer seeing a big jump in animal surrenders around July 1, but that's not because people have stopped giving up their pets before moving homes. The shelter says that compared with years past, fewer residential leases terminate at the end of June; therefore, instead of abandoning their pets all at once, Montrealers area leaving their animals behind all year long. And the number of surrendered pets is increasing, a trend that Laurence Massé, executive director of the Montreal SPCA, blames on the high cost of living and on a lack of pet-friendly rentals. "We used to see a really, really huge increase, a huge discrepancy between the surrenders in July and all of the other months," Massé said in a recent interview. "We don't tend to see the same increase as previously because people move all year long now." In the first four months of 2025, the Montreal branch of the SPCA reported 1,212 animals surrendered, a 26 per cent increase over the same period in 2024. The SPCA received 3,000 surrendered pets in 2024. Ahead of July 1, the SPCA's Montreal facility was already hosting almost 200 animals: nearly 100 cats, 27 dogs, 39 small animals like rabbits, and 25 wild animals. Massé said her organization is already at 112 per cent capacity for cats and 118 per cent for dogs. "We're never going to leave an animal behind, so we're going to open our offices, we're going to find a foster family," Massé said. There had been concerns that animal shelters would see a major spike in abandoned pets after the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people had adopted pets during lockdowns. That anticipated wave of animal surrenders never came, but abandonments have been rising due to a complex combination of factors, Massé said. No-pet clauses in leases are a major problem, Massé said, noting that 52 per cent of Quebec families are pet owners, and 25 per cent of pets are dogs — but just 4.2 per cent of landlords permit dogs in their apartments. "So it's really, really hard to find a place. So that's one of the biggest factors of surrender." The SPCA has argued in favour of Civil Code changes to ban no-pet clauses. Opposition party Québec solidaire attempted to bring legislation on the issue in 2023 but failed. Martin Messier of the Quebec Landlords Association says his members would be more open to allowing pets if the Quebec government permitted landlords to collect deposits for potential pet-related damage. "I think that for a lot of landlords, the problem is never the pet, it's always the pet owner that does not take care properly of their pet." "We want to make sure that we have a building in good condition … that we have other tenants that are able to enjoy their unit as well," Messier said. In 2015 Quebec changed the legal status of animals to declare them sentient beings, not property; but legislators didn't change the rules around no-pet clauses, which remain legal. Lawyer John-Nicolas Morello, head of a non-profit committed to advocating for ethics and animal law, said the SPCA has launched a court challenge against Quebec's rules around no-pet clauses. That case, however, won't be heard for several years. Other jurisdictions have taken the lead on this issue: France and Ontario, for example, have invalidated no-pet clauses in residential leases. Morello said his organization supports the SPCA challenge, and in the meantime has created a manual to help guide tenants during lease negotiations so that landlords feel more comfortable with pets. "Until that (legal challenge) happens, we thought that it was important to try to develop a tool to allow an informed discussion between the landlord and the tenant," Morello said. But more and more, Massé noted, the consideration to give up a pet is a financial one. "In the last two years, we tend to see an increase in surrenders for economic reasons," Massé said. "We're living in an inflation context right now and unfortunately people have a hard time affording their own food. So, what about food for the animal?" The SPCA runs a program that offers food, litter and toys for pets whose owners are struggling financially. Aside from pet necessities, it's difficult for families trying to budget for potential veterinary care. "So behind every surrender, there's (often) a financial reason, unfortunately, and we're seeing more and more this year," Massé said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2025. Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
Malay Mail
17-06-2025
- Malay Mail
Man chains dog to motorcycle, drags it through streets in Bandar Puteri Jaya as Kedah police hunt suspect
SUNGAI PETANI, June 17 — A pet owner is believed to have cruelly chained a dog to his motorcycle and dragged it to get rid of it, on grounds that he no longer wanted to keep the animal after four months. In the outrageous incident in Bandar Puteri Jaya near here yesterday evening, the man's inhumane act was stopped by another man who witnessed the cruelty. Additionally, a woman recorded the incident and later uploaded the footage on social media site Facebook. Kuala Muda police chief ACP Hanyan Ramlan said his department had received a police report regarding the incident. 'Initial investigations found that the dog was not dead but injured, and it was sent to an animal clinic for treatment. 'We have opened an investigation under Section 428 of the Penal Code (maiming an animal) and we are also referring this case to the veterinary office,' he said in a media statement today. He added that efforts are being made to identify the suspect who will be detained to assist in the investigation for an act of cruelty to animals. — Bernama
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Overpopulation Solution: Veterinarians donating time to help strays
LEBANON — This year, an unprecedented number of stray cats have been flooding rescue facilities, calling for a viable and safe solution for these furry friends. The Lebanon Veterinary Hospital offered a solution by creating the SNIPS (Spays, Neuters Impact Populations) program, in which veterinarians are donating their time to provide spay and neuter services for rescue organizations at a small cost. According to Bernadette Orscher, VP of marketing for the network of hospitals Piper Veterinary, this crisis is the consequence of various factors. One of the factors is that for each unaltered female cat, 36 kittens can be born every year. Other factors have played a role in this crisis, like the increased costs for spay and neuter procedures going from $400 to over $1,000 in Connecticut. Economic pressure has also led to an increase in pet abandonments. 'That flywheel of unspayed and neutered animals is just going to continue to raise the number of pet abandonment numbers,' she said. 'The state now has officially recognized the overpopulation issue. So, instead of putting additional strains on town resources, we're trying to help and get ahead of it.' Although rescues get help through the State Voucher Program to finance these procedures, the number of animals in need have led many rescues to be out of vouchers before the year ended. With SNIPS, the Lebanon Veterinary Hospital is providing these procedures at a discounted rate, whether they still have these vouchers or not. In a few numbers, a dog spay cost over $800, which is reduced to $200 with the SNIPS program. For cats, the procedures start at $80. In addition to each surgery, the animals also get two vaccinations at no additional cost. 'The veterinary team is absorbing a significant amount of the cost to offer this to rescues,' she said. 'So, we're trying to make sure we can keep it as inclusive as possible and open as possible.' Throughout the summer, Piper Veterinary and the Lebanon Veterinary Hospital will be hosting programs to help animals get the medical attention they need to limit overpopulation. 'We're trying to maximize the number of animals that we're able to help and support. And that's best negotiated through rescue groups,' Orscher said. On June 9, they will have a clinic day with PAWS cat shelter and are still scheduling events to do throughout the summer. 'There's nothing harder in vet medicine than seeing discarded or unwanted pets,' said Dr. Steven Zickmann of Lebanon Veterinary Hospital. 'We have to do better, or it will never stop.'
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Heartbreak as cash-strapped Nigerians abandon their pets
Preye Maxwell looks distressed as he leaves his beloved dog Hanks at an animal shelter in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub. Fighting back tears, he says: "I can't afford to take care of him. I can't afford to feed him the way he should be fed." His two-year old American Eskimo barks as his owner turns his back and walks out of the St Mark's Animal Rescue Foundation in the Lagos suburb of Ajah. Dr Mark Afua, a vet and chairman of the rescue centre, takes Hanks and puts him in a big metal cage - one of many in the single-storey building designed for dogs, cats, snakes and other animals. Hanks wheels around in circles in his cage - and Dr Afua tries to calm the distressed fluffy-haired dog. Mr Maxwell, an online media strategist, was recently made redundant. His job-hunting means he is never at home and so feels unable to look after Hanks. "I'm trying to get whatever I have to do to survive. I don't even have the time now [to look after Hanks] because I'm always out looking for jobs," he told the BBC. The 33-year-old's decision was difficult to make, but it is one that many pet owners are taking in the face of the rising cost of living in Nigeria. Africa's most-populous nation has been hit by high inflation since President Bola Tinubu came to power two years ago and removed a long-standing fuel subsidy. The inflation rate surged from 22% in May 2023 to 35% in December 2024, a 28-year high, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS.) Inflation has since fallen back to 24% but this means that prices are still continuing to rise, just not as quickly as before. The economic crunch has meant that some companies have had to downsize to keep afloat in the face of rising operating costs, pushing young people like Mr Maxwell into an already saturated labour market. Animal rights activists and animal shelters say that they are seeing an unprecedented numbers of abandoned animals as the cost of looking after pets spirals out of control. Prices for pet food and veterinary care have jumped by more 100% as some things, especially medication, are imported - and the local currency has plummeted against the dollar. "About 10 years ago when we started this project, we really didn't have people giving up their dogs because they were unable to feed the dogs," Dr Afua told the BBC. "Right now, we have 10, 12 animals being dropped in a month." Some, like Mr Maxwell, hand their pets over to a shelter for adoption but others simply abandon their animals. Animal cruelty campaigner Jackie Idimogu, who is president of My Dog and I - a dog-lovers' community in Lagos who often helps to rehome pets, says she has noticed the change. "Now they don't even have that patience [to find new owners]. They just tie the dog out to a post on the road or they just unleash it on the road," she told the BBC. The 32-year-old says more that 50% of her income as a furniture maker and interior designer now goes on looking after her four dogs. "I'm spending roughly 250,000 naira ($158; £117) every month on pets," she says, adding that this includes someone to walk the dogs and look after them when she was not around. But Ms Idimogu says she cannot bear to give them up. "As a single lady, I have no kids of my own yet. My dogs are my babies. I don't see any difference between myself as a dog mum and a human mum. I don't think I have it in me to give up any of my babies for any reason whatsoever." Instead, she has chosen to adapt her lifestyle - fewer luxuries for herself like jewellery, expensive hair styles and spa visits and fewer treats for her pets like chicken, yoghurt treats and car rides. "I used to be flashy, but now I had to tone down because of my dogs." The same goes for Amartya Odanokende, who goes by the name "Jason the Cat Guy" on social media, where he likes to impart his love of felines to his fellow Nigerians who often regard cats with suspicion because of their association with witchcraft. He spends approximately $160 a month on food for five big cats and some kittens, plus another $7 on 10kg of cat litter. Since he got his Prussian cats in 2020 he says what he spends has gone up 100%. Such "skyrocketing maintenance cost" is a concern and he worries about getting into debt. Lagos sales executive Iyke Elueze is also struggling to look after her 10 dogs. "There's a particular brand of food I used to use. It was just about 30,000 naira then. That same brand of dog food is 165,000 naira," he told the BBC. He credits his first dog Hennessey with saving his life at a time he was struggling with depression - nonetheless he would like to get rid of some of his animals as he now needs to prioritise his toddlers. But the 36-year-old fears that his dogs could end up being eaten - as they are considered a delicacy in some parts of southern Nigeria. Celebrity chef and Guinness record breaker Hilda Baci once came under fire on social media after she admitted making a dog-meat themed menu. "I am very careful with who adopts my dogs. I don't want my dogs ending up in any other person's pots," said the father-of-two. Mistura Ibrahim, a young tattoo artist in Lagos who has made it her mission to help cats after saving two who were about to be stoned, is depressed about the situation and is finding it hard to find new homes for others she continues to rescue. "I get some calls from people that I've given cats to in the past and they say that they really cannot afford to keep the cats." She no longer feeds her cats tinned meals, opting to give them food from her own plate. Her advice is to take pet welfare seriously: "It's just like having a child. If you can't afford to have a child, then don't bring a child to the world." For Dr Afua, who uses the profit from his veterinary practice to fund his shelter, it is getting harder to house the unwanted animals. "We try to help the animals get homes quickly but I'm careful [about] the homes they go to so they don't come back. And some animals will never find homes because of previous abuse." With St Mark's Animal Rescue Foundation caring for more than 60 dogs at the moment - around twice its capacity - would he ever turn away an animal? "I don't have the heart to. As I speak I have dogs and cats everywhere. My office and home is full - and I still make room for the next." 'I've been sleeping under a bridge in Lagos for 30 years' Are Nigerians abroad widening the class divide back home? 'I scarred my six children by using skin-lightening creams' Blank questions, power cuts and a suicide: Nigeria's exams fiasco The Nigerian professor who makes more money welding Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
