The local animal shelter is sending out an urgent appeal to the community to help them triple their capacity for big dogs recovering from spay/neuter surgeries.
Currently, the Georgian Triangle Humane Society (GTHS) is the only facility in the region providing lower-cost spay/neuter surgeries for pet owners, but the hospital can only take on one large dog per day because there's only one recovery kennel big enough for pups over 30 kgs.
The GTHS animal hospital offers spay/neuter surgeries to the public for their pets and also performs the surgeries for dogs and cats that come to the shelter for adoption.
According to a news release, the limitation is causing distress for responsible dog owners who are turned away because the demand exceeds the capacity.
“We are deeply committed to the well-being of every animal in our care,” said Karen Marsh, executive director at the GTHS, in a news release from the organization. “However, the current capacity crisis in our hospital forces us to make impossible choices. But we can see a way out of this. We have a working solution, and we are asking for our community’s support to overcome this challenge and ensure that no large dog is left without the care they need.”
Larger dogs are left "in limbo, waiting for the care they desperately need and potentially adding to our overpopulation problem," states the news release.
There is currently a waiting list of large dogs that need a spay or neuter surgery.
According to the animal hospital, large dog appointments fill up first. This month, the large dog spay/neuter appointments were fully booked in two days.
The shelter receives an average of three to four calls per week for large dog spay/neuter appointments.
"The strain on the GTHS hospital is immense, and immediate support is needed to expand capacity to meet the needs of the region and provide the necessary care for large dogs," states the news release.
So, GTHS has started a new fundraising campaign to bring in $15,000 to cover the cost of two new stainless steel, double-door kennels. The new kennels would provide safe recovery for two dogs per day getting spay/neuter surgeries at the public animal hospital.
"This expansion will also prevent over 3,750 unwanted litters over the next five years and offer hope to countless dogs who might otherwise be turned away," states the news release. "Overpopulation is real and the GTHS is committed to supporting every pet parent who recognizes this reality."
For more information about the fundraising campaign or to donate, please visit gths.ca today.
