Alberta Pound and Rescue Centres Medicine Hat works to shelter and care for animals in distress, such as those who are strays or have been injured.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Animal advocates in Medicine Hat are sharing tips with pet owners for the upcoming cold weather Holiday Season.
Kaylyn Major, general manager at Alberta Pound and Rescue Centres Medicine Hat, has heard of the seasonal adoption issue, in which cats and dogs are purchased as Christmas gifts, then returned shortly after Christmas once the adopters realize pet ownership is a long-term commitment, but hasn’t encountered the issue.
“We’ve actually had really good success with (adoptions before Christmas),” Major told the News.
She and her team don’t discourage adoptions at this time of the year, instead, they work with the potential adopters to ensure pet ownership is the right decision for them.
“It obviously has to be a well-informed, family-made decision so that everybody’s on-board,” said Major. “It’s usually not something you’d want to buy for someone who doesn’t know it’s coming … If it’s a family-made decision it’s a great idea, because we do want a lot of the animals to go home for the holidays. We don’t want them here in kennels.”
Currently, APARC is running at a higher capacity than normal for this time of year.
“Right now, we are sitting, in total, around the 85 mark,” said Major. She hopes some of the cats and dogs housed at the site will find their forever homes by Christmas.
“Now’s a good time because, usually, everyone takes time off around Christmas, so if you’re going to have that time off, you can get your new family member accustomed to everything (in the new home).”
Major encourages interested parties to check on APARC’S website or to contact them via phone.
She also shared tips on how pet owners can properly prepare their furry family for cold weather.
“They obviously need to go outside and have their bathroom breaks, and different breeds can withstand different times. If it’s a husky, he wants to live out there, but a little guy with no fur, he needs to go out and in. You really have to time it at a 15-minute tops-type thing, but based on your pet.”
Major reiterated that pets should not be left outside for extended periods of time.
For strays found outside during cold weather, she recommends not trapping them and instead encourages Hatters to call city bylaw, who will attempt to catch them and bring them to APARC for shelter and any necessary medical treatment.
