Pet Save Sudbury sees increase in cats being abandoned by owners
A local organization that cares for animals in Sudbury is continuing to cope with the pandemic. Recently, officials with Pet Save said they have never seen so many cats at the shelter at one time.
Staff at Pet Save are currently caring for 130 kittens and approximately 100 cats.
The director of Pet Save, Jill Pessot, said these numbers are significantly higher compared to previous years.
"Normally at this time of the year, I'd be going on with either 60 or 70 cats and maybe 30 or 40 kittens. This year, we are going in with really high numbers," Pessot said. "This fall has been the busiest we’ve seen in over a dozen years."
Pessot said COVID-19 plays a factor and she is finding this year many people are just dumping their cats on the streets and leaving them to fend for themselves.
"Most of them are coming in friendly, so they were owned by somebody and they’ve been let go. So, when those cats are let go and they are unspayed and unneutered then we end up with them populating on the streets," she said. "So, that’s what we’re seeing a lot of this year. Normally, we see a high feral cat population compared to our domestics on the streets, and now we’re seeing a lot of domestics."
Not only does Pet Save have more than 200 cats to care for at this time, it just recently received 15 dogs from a northern community.
"We’ve got dogs, puppies, that sort of thing. And their temperatures are already dropping significantly up north.. some of them are already seeing snow," Pessot said. "So, we are looking to try to remove as many as we can to help keep those populations under control."
She said with the large influx of animals, more volunteers, dog walkers, and fosters are needed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.