The B.C. SPCA is significantly restricting public access to its shelters to protect its staff, volunteers and members of the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淲e鈥檙e maintaining our services for the animals and we have our staff and essential-service volunteers making sure the animals are coming in,鈥� Lorie Chortyk, general manager of community relations for the B.C. SPCA, said Friday. 鈥淏ut we are limiting the number of people in shelters at any time. We鈥檙e only open for adoption by appointment and for emergency surrenders.鈥�
The SPCA has 550 staff and more than 5,000 people volunteering at 36 shelters throughout the province, including seven shelters on 91原创 Island.
It will continue to care for the 550 animals awaiting adoption throughout the province. It will also provide emergency treatment for animals that come into custody through animal-cruelty investigations, said Chortyk.
Right now, however, the organization is asking people who want to surrender their animals to continue to look after them unless it is an emergency, said Chortyk. 鈥淏ecause we don鈥檛 have the capacity right now.鈥�
On Thursday, the SPCA found homes for 100 animals through adoption and fostering, to clear space for new animals. And this week, March 23 to 27, adoption fees will be cut in half.
鈥淏asically, we do want people to keep adopting animals because unless we are able to move animals into new, loving homes, we鈥檙e not going to have the space to keep taking in new animals,鈥� said Chortyk.
People interested in adopting can see the available animals online, where they can fill out an application. Staff will contact potential adopters with more information, and set up an appointment to see the animal.
鈥淚f people are home now, it might be a good time to introduce a new pet into their lives,鈥� said Chortyk, cautioning there will be disruptions with limited staffing.
鈥淪ome people are working from home, but in the shelters, they are going to be dealing with staff shortages. There鈥檚 no doubt about that. We鈥檙e trying to plan for that.鈥�
The SPCA will also continue its compassionate boarding program, which keeps an animal safe if its owner is leaving a violent situation. 鈥淲e suspect we鈥檒l see a rise in those situations, because we know tough times sometimes exacerbate intense situations,鈥� said Chortyk.
The SPCA has cancelled its fundraising events and spring-break camps for children, and is working on developing ways to provide online programs for kids, said Chortyk.
At the Victoria Humane Society, executive director Penny Stone said Friday that the economic impact of the pandemic is affecting people and their pets.
鈥淧eople are getting laid off or they鈥檙e worried they鈥檒l lose their house or apartment and we鈥檙e getting all these phone calls: 鈥業聽can鈥檛 keep my dog.鈥� 鈥業 can鈥檛 keep my cat.鈥� 鈥業鈥檓 going to lose my house.鈥� There鈥檚 quite a panic.鈥�
The humane society, which does not have a facility, is trying desperately to bring animals from the Interior and the Prairie provinces to Victoria, 鈥渂ecause once the planes stop flying, they鈥檒l die. There鈥檚 just nowhere for them to go to,鈥� said Stone.
More than 20 animals are expected to be flown to the Island today.
The upside, however, is an increase in the number of people offering to foster animals because they are home, said Stone. 鈥淎nd we love that.鈥�
She鈥檚 asking people to go to the website and fill out a foster form.
鈥淭hat will be very helpful for us and enable us to say 鈥榶es鈥� 鈥� yes we can take those puppies, yes we can take that pregnant mom, yes we can take that injured dog.鈥�
As with the B.C. SPCA, fundraisers for the humane society have been delayed and donations have dried up. Yet Stone said the society is getting two to three calls a day from people who can no longer take care of their animals.
It will take an animal if the person has nowhere to live or if the animal is at risk, she said. 鈥淭he ones that are going to die today, we have to get those in first.鈥�
Three pregnant animals are set to arrive this weekend, said Stone, noting that kitten and puppy season has begun.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hitting this at the worst possible time. But the reality is we have to take them. We want to say yes every single time and we try. But we do have to prioritize and take the ones who are at risk first.鈥�
The society helps animals, but Stone said it also helps people.
鈥淭his is really hard for people who are looking at giving up their animals because there is nowhere for them to go,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e know how this is affecting people.鈥�
