'Full' provincial animal shelters create bottleneck for NWT SPCA

The NWT SPCA is struggling with an overflow of potential pet adoptees as dog transfers to animal rescues in the South have slowed to a crawl.

The animal shelter in Yellowknife not only accommodates local animals, but also pets from surrounding communities looking for a new home.

"We could've sent out a dog a week, two dogs a week to another rescue and we just can't do that anymore because they're full," said Nicole Spencer, the logistics co-ordinator for the NWT SPCA.

"So there's a bottleneck ... that's why we've had to put a stop on intakes from communities. We just don't have the room."

NWT SPCA adoption co-ordinator Dana Martin said the reoccurring reason she's heard regarding full provincial rescue operations is that people are returning their "pandemic puppies." 

"People were all of a sudden realizing they're at home more. They had time so they were adopting animals like crazy. Then everybody went back to work and again the shelters are full," said Martin.

2022 has been an above average year for adoptions for the Yellowknife-based shelter, according to Martin. Despite that, the shelter has halted the intake of pets for now.

"When an animal arrives at the NWT SPCA, there's three ways they get out of there: into foster care, into an adoptive home, or they transfer out to another rescue. So when one of those avenues is closed, it really bottlenecks everything," she said.

Air Canada temporarily bans pets from travelling in cargo holds

The NWT SPCA relies on rescue operations in southern Canada to get animals out and adopted. Larger populations in cities such as Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver increase the chance of adoption.

Martin estimates that normally almost half of their animals are transferred to rescues in southern Canada.

That means the NWT SPCA relies on airlines to help move animals around.

Air Canada announced Wednesday that it will no longer accept requests for pets to travel in the cargo compartment of its planes. This temporary ban will be in place until Sept. 12, and will not be affecting pet cargo requests that have already been booked. 

Air Canada is also still accepting pets in the cabin (including service animals).

Spencer said that this temporary ban will have minimal impact on NWT SPCA operations as they rarely use Air Canada for animal transfers. 

Air Canada's size restrictions mean most of their dogs are too big for Air Canada flights. Instead, the NWT SPCA primarily relies on WestJet and Canadian North to transport their dogs for transfer and adoption, according to Spencer.

"It will definitely affect us, but not too badly because it was restricted anyway. WestJet — I'm hoping they don't do the same — because WestJet definitely gives us more flexibility," said Spencer.

"We continue to accept animals at this time," said a WestJet spokesperson in an email statement.

And as for Canadian North: "We don't have any bans on animals/pets in our cargo holds and there are currently no considerations to impose a ban," said a Canadian North spokesperson in an email statement.

But Spencer said she commends Air Canada for being proactive.

"I would rather them not take a dog if the dog's going to be stranded like ... luggage that has obviously been stranded and lost," she said.