Not just raining cats and dogs: 'a perfect storm' as Sudbury shelter sees more dogs and puppies

Anyone walking into into Pet Save Sudbury, and approaching the front desk, will pass two adult dogs hanging around for treats, and then might notice tiny furry puppy ears perk up behind the counter.

The place has become overwhelmed with dogs, where it used to mainly handle cats.

Pet Save director, Jill Pessot said during the pandemic, many people were at home much more, and purchased dogs, but there has been a shift as the pandemic wound down.

"So you had a combination of two things happen after COVID was over, people who were breeding thought they'd all take one more kick at the can and have one more litter," she said.

"The problem was we were already saturated. Then you had a combination of people who who who had gotten a dog or puppy during COVID, who now went back to work and were dumping their animals into shelters. So what you ended up with was a perfect storm."

Pet Save moved into a new, expanded building last February with 15 stalls for dogs. Pessot was thinking it as more room than they would need.

However, she said in recent months, they've had double or triple their maximum occupancy of dogs, largely due to mothers with litters that are brought in.

Some cat spaces have now been turned over to dogs with puppies,

And it's the same everywhere, said Pessot.

"Every shelter and rescue across this country is full," she said."Every single one. I am one of only a handful in Ontario still even doing intake. Most have shut down their intakes. We're beyond the crisis level."

Pessot said she despairs at the posts she sees daily about animals being dumped in the bush for lack of shelter space.

She says spaying and neutering are the only way to begin to tackle the problem, and she is urging people to call the shelter if they need help with access to that kind of service.

With a shortage of veterinarians and more set to retire in Sudbury in the next five years, Pessot is setting up a program to help with the cost of spaying and neutering.

She said she's also looking at bringing back a program that takes veterinarians to remote First Nations to spay female dogs to bring litters under control.

At the City of Greater Sudbury's animal shelter there are currently 30 dogs and 11 cats on the wait list for surrenders, according to a spokesperson for the city.