(File Photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

At capacity

Meadow Lake Humane Society not accepting more dogs currently

Jun 16, 2023 | 8:00 AM

People thinking about adopting a new pet this summer will want to visit the Meadow Lake and District Humane Society (MLDHS), as the shelter is currently dealing with a high capacity of animals.

It announced on its Facebook Page June 10, it is no longer accepting any more dogs at the present time due to high numbers.

“We are being overwhelmed with requests for dogs and puppies, and we have zero room for any more,” the organization states.

President Jeff McCallum said this type of problem comes up from time to time for dogs at the shelter.

“We have a capacity for about 13 animals,” he said. “We have to keep one or two cages open for the bylaw officers. But in terms of numbers, it’s probably closer to 20-plus animals, if we’re counting all the foster [ones] too.”

DRUG ALERT

Province issues warning after RCMP seize fentanyl-laced meth in Meadow Lake

15h ago

NEW BUSINESS

Fourth cannabis shop gets green light in North Battleford despite concerns

15h ago

fire damage

Some SaskTel services impacted by wildfires in the north

16h ago

For felines, the shelter is close to capacity, with about 15 in its care. It can accommodate up to about 18 to 20 cats in total.

Even when its at capacity, the humane society still needs to keep a couple cages open for animals recovering from surgery.

“If an animal is coming out of vet care, it’s always better if they have a little bit of room, comfort and privacy until they are healed up,” McCallum said.

Many of its partner organizations that often accept overflow animals are also not taking any more right now.

“The summer is a very hard time,” McCallum said. “Everyone is busy. We struggle with moving them elsewhere as an option at this time of year.”

Often shelters are short on volunteer staff because they are away on holidays or busy over the summer.

Meanwhile, McCallum attributes the high capacity of animals at the shelter to owners not spaying or neutering their pets.

For people interested in adopting an animal, McCallum encourages them to come by.

“Closer to the end of summer, or any time of the year is a good time to bring in a new family member,” he said.

McCallum adds if there is one message the shelter wants to send out, it’s “definitely, to get any animal you know about being spayed or neutered to help control the population that way.”

He also mentioned, if people plan to spend a lot of time outdoors during the day over the summer, then they should bring their dogs along too.

“They love that,” he said.

—

Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @meadowlakenow