Let’s Chat: Pets are family

By Linda Tooth on March 26, 2025.

How far would you go in order to keep your pet with you?

We know pets provide emotional support and also a lifeline that allows us to stay mentally healthy and fit. They are the reason many people get out of bed daily, whether it is to feed them or take them for a walk. As well, they are companions to many who live on their own, or have no family nearby. I cannot imagine the anguish people must feel when they have to relinquish ownership of their pets.

Facebook posts indicate we have a real problem here in Medicine Hat and surrounding areas. People are posting about needing to re-home their pets.

Our local pound services (APARC) recently posted on Facebook the following, “We have reached a never-before capacity of dogs in the shelter and will not be taking public intake of dogs. As of today, we have 19 dogs in the shelter.”

They also indicated that most of these dogs are owner abandoned. The use of the word abandoned breaks my heart as I cannot imagine what I hope is anguish and not lack of love for a pet when they are leaving them.

I spoke with the local SPCA, and they confirmed that they have 22 dogs under their care with some being in foster homes. What is going on in this community that we are abandoning pets? We have enough challenges within this community regarding the abandonment or dumping of cats and rabbits. What is it going to look like if people have no other choice than to abandon or dump their dogs because the local pound services or the SPCA has no room for them?

I have put a call out on social media to ask those individuals who have recently abandoned or relinquished ownership of their pets to contact me so that I can try to understand and possibly bring light to the issues they are facing. To date nobody has reached out to me.

I’m starting to do some research on possible issues people are facing. Those issues include housing restrictions, the high cost of veterinarian care and food prices. I was told recently that some people are moving into low-income housing or alternate housing and those properties do not allow pets.

I’ve also discovered that large corporations are buying up vet clinics and are increasing their prices as much as three times per year. In 2010, nearly all vet clinics in Canada were independently owned. Now at least 20% are corporately owned.

If you are a pet owner thinking you have no other choice but to relinquish ownership of your pet, please reach out to me. I would love to hear your story as I try to understand what is going on within our community.

Have a Meowtastic day and keep reading.

Linda Tooth is a part-time communications instructor at Medicine Hat College

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