Winnipeg Humane Society in search of forever homes after taking in nearly 600 cats in July alone

The Winnipeg Humane Society has seen a surge in cat and kitten surrenders over the last month. The organization took in 573 felines in July, more than doubling the number of cats in their care at the end of June. 

Carly Peters, a spokesperson for the Winnipeg Humane Society, says, in the current economy, many people can no longer afford to take care of their beloved pets. 

“Cost of living is a huge factor for animal surrenders, it’s been that way for over a year and a half,” said Peters.

“I would say about 50 per cent of the cats that are surrendered to us by their owners is because they can’t afford vet care. For dogs, it’s even higher. Seventy-five per cent of the owners surrender because they can’t afford vet care. So that puts a huge strain.”

Another factor leading to the higher intake numbers is the alarming cases of animal cruelty that have occurred in Winnipeg over the past year.

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Peter says an increasing number of drop-offs come from concerned citizens not wanting to see their local outdoor cats fall victim to a random act of violence. 

“People are taking community cats and bringing them to us rather than leaving them in the community, even if they are healthy and happy. Those horrific cases of abuse and cruelty has put fear in people that they don’t think Winnipeg is safe for cats,” said Peters.

To help find forever homes for the many felines in their care, the Humane Society will be offering reduced adoption rates for the rest of the week.