A notice of motion at Calgary city council Tuesday could ban the retail sale of pets like cats and dogs due to an increase in pet surrenders.
This comes as animal shelters like the Calgary Humane Society (CHS) have been full and extremely busy for the last two years, saying constant surrenders are overwhelming.
“And we are not alone. All animal rescue groups and all shelters are full,” said Carrie Fritz, the CEO of CHS.
Pre-COVID, hundreds of animals would be surrendered every year. This year alone, that number is believed to be five times as big.
Fritz says most animals brought into the shelter are pet surrenders, and there are a myriad of factors for the increasing numbers.
“It is very expensive to have a pet, accessing care has been a challenge, and right now pet-friendly housing is a concern in Calgary, that is the number one reason we are seeing animals coming into the facility,” she said.
“So it really is about just empowering people to make a responsible choice with their animal.”
CHS says its food costs for sheltered pets were around $252,000 in 2023, a jump from $60,000 in 2022.
Councillor Courtney Walcott, who proposed the notice of motion, says something needs to change.
“Careful pet ownership and pet purchasing is extremely significant,” he said.
“Over the last couple of years of kennels and breeders that are working on unsafe conditions out of their houses, and trying to figure out the way to navigate to keep the animals safe, so that we don’t see some of the devastating outcomes that we’ve seen with our shelters and of course animals on the street.”
Fritz explains this isn’t targeting breeders, saying there are retail locations that carry animals, clarifying concerns about collaboration with shelters.
“There were some concerns really about humane societies and SPCAs being able to partner with retail pet locations to adopt animals. From my understanding those are not being targeted,” she said.
“It really is just about banning the sale — the retail sale of animals in stores in Calgary.”
Robert Church, the owner of Top Dog Store in Calgary, says he understands the issue of pet overpopulation, but he says the retail pet ban specifically targets his store, the only retail kennel operation in western Canada.
“I am really disappointed in how this is playing out,” he told 660NewsRadio.
“It’s unfair and misleading to target a responsible and transparent business like the Top Dog Store while ignoring the real issues that we have, which are housing and affordability issues for pet owners.”
He says none of his puppies are being surrendered to shelters, adding he couldn’t say the last time he heard this happen.
Church says the ban and closure of his store won’t solve the issue and empty shelters.
“It will drive people who want to get a small cute happy healthy puppy. It’ll drive them to unregulated and anonymous sellers on Kijiji,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fritz says she wants Calgarians to understand the economic situation and responsibility of pet ownership.
“So whether they be brought into a home not fully understanding the needs, the economic situation that we live in right now, we just really want people to do their due diligence, and be prepared when walking an animal into their home,” she said.
The proposed bylaw isn’t necessarily a new thing around the country.
Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver all have rules in place banning the sales of certain animals such as cats and dogs.
If passed in the future, Calgarians would still be able to adopt animals, just through places connected through certain agencies, and its unsure what this would mean for registered breeders.
