For the first time in over a year, the PEI Humane Society has less than 100 animals under its custody.
Ashley Travis, the association’s development and communications coordinator, said it’s helping shelters meet the increased demand they’re facing.
“Thankfully, I’m finally able to handle the waiting list that I had for most of last year, so I’m slowly filling up the kennels as they empty,” she said.
Typically, shelters try to maintain less than 80% of their animal capacity, Travis said. But in the last two years, that has not been possible.
In 2022, there will be 1,662 animals under humanitarian protection, 100 more than in 2021.
“We’ve been seeing a lot of animals being turned over to shelters as a last-minute, last-minute effort,” Travis said, adding that inflation and rising rental costs meant people had to turn to shelters. This is part of the reason why
Expect more surrenders
Small household pets such as rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs are the most commonly handed over and can be the most difficult to place in a new home, says Travis.
Rabbits spend the most time in shelters, and a rabbit named Peep has been waiting for adoption for nearly a year.
Having fewer than 100 animals in their care is reason for celebration, but Travis said it’s likely to be short-lived.
“We hope this trend continues, but the waiting list is quite long right now, so we expect to hit over 100 again by the end of the month.”
Travis hopes to see more rabbits adopted by 2023 and wants pet adoptions to happen faster and more often.
“I hope this year will be a more positive year,” she added.
New development project in progress
The PEI Humane Society is also working to expand its operations, with construction currently underway on a new, larger facility behind its current location.
The association first announced plans to expand to a larger building in 2019. Now, Travis said project permits have been approved and the bidding process has begun.
Travis is very excited to see what this large new building will mean for the community, and hopes it will open sometime in the summer of 2024.
“We’re going to significantly increase our offerings in terms of programs and services,” Travis said. “Everything we do on the limited scale that we have now will be magnified in the new shelter.”
The current building will continue to operate and remain under the shelter’s operations during and after construction.
Travis said the expansion will allow for more kennels and space to accommodate missing or emergency shelter animals as demand increases across the island.
“Not only is this good for shelters, it’s good for PEI,” she said.
