The Edmonton Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is Rover the Dog and Blackie the Cat’s last hope.
If Rover chews one too many baseboards while his owners are at work and if Blackie takes to peeing too many times on the couch, the Humane Society will take them in.
“This is a happy place,” says Humane Society communications spokesperson Shawna Randolph. “There is lots of interaction between animals and people. We put a lot of resources into each animal that comes through our door.”
In 2012 the Edmonton Humane Society took in 12,824 animals. Of those, 600 were brought in from St. Albert and Sturgeon County. Out of the total, 7,671 were adopted. Some, but not all of the remaining 5,153 were euthanized.
“We partner with other organizations such as the Dalmatian rescue organization to adopt animals. If the animals are deemed not-adoptable, they are humanely euthanized,” Randolph says, stressing that the Humane Society does not judge people when they bring in an animal, but at the same time, there is a cost.
Admission fees for unwanted animals range between $60 and $80 depending on whether the pets have previously been neutered and what kind of creatures they are.
Adoption fees range from $130 to $189 for cats, with the higher fee reserved for kittens. Dog adoption fees range from $85 for older dogs to $315 for puppies.
“We will not turn away an animal for any reason. Surprisingly, even some of those ‘hopeless’ animals eventually are rehabilitated and go to a good home,” Randolph says.
The Humane Society moved into its current location on 137 Avenue in 2009. It is a not-for-profit organization and receives no government funding. Last year it had an operating budget of $6.6 million of which $3.2 million was received from donors. The estimated cost to the Humane Society to keep each animal is between $300 and $400.
Economics also play a part in why animals come to the Humane Society, when people find they cannot afford their pet.
“There are many reasons why people no longer want an animal. Maybe they move, maybe they have allergies and maybe the animal is uncontrollable. But often, it’s because people don’t understand the cost of keeping a pet,” she says.
As for the free-to-a-good home cuties, Randolph points out that the animals from the Humane Society are vaccinated, micro-chipped, neutered and tested for diseases. In addition, at the Humane Society there is a counselling process so that new pet owners understand the animal’s needs, not just when it is small, but also when it becomes full-grown.
“It’s heart-wrenching when people come to us and say they cannot afford to keep the animal, or when they tell us, ‘It’s not cute anymore.’ We are committed to helping homeless and abused companion animals but our mandate is also to enlighten people so that the animals can enrich their lives. We want to enlighten people to be responsible pet owners,” Randolph said.
For information about the Edmonton Humane Society, visit www.edmontonhumanesociety.com
