OLDS — The town is seeing a surge of stray and abandoned dogs, so town officials are urging residents to foster them.
A recent news release issued by the Town says Olds does not have a dog shelter and all shelters in the region are at capacity.
“The wait to get in is weeks-long,” the release says.
As a result, any dog found or abandoned in Olds must stay with the person who found it or with town staff who volunteer their homes until a permanent home is found.
“Town officials are asking residents to take responsibility for their dogs by following town bylaws and if they can no longer care for their family dogs, consider trying to rehome them first,” the news release says.
The town describes the need for people to house the strays as “desperate.”
“We are reaching a critical point where we can’t take in and care for stray dogs,” municipal enforcement officer Sgt. Paul Wright said.
“Our priority is to reconnect dogs with their owners. If we are unsuccessful, we are making every effort to place the dogs in a home on a short or long-term basis.
“Sadly, we don’t have the space to house stray dogs on a long-term basis, and with the increase of dogs running loose and being picked up by Municipal Enforcement, we are facing difficult decisions.”
Volunteers willing to take in stray dogs need to be 18 and older, able to care for the pet responsibly for at least six months and be willing to follow the relevant municipal bylaws.
If you’re able to foster a dog for six months or more, call Municipal Enforcement at 587-796-1193 to volunteer. Online registration is also available at www.olds.ca/dogfoster.
