The number of animals being cared for at the People for Animal Wellbeing Shelter is up this year.

Executive Director Heather Smith says they took in around 179 animals last month, which is more than they normally see.

“We watch our animal intake quite closely. We want to make sure that we have the resources to care for the animals in the shelter. Last week, we noticed that our staff-to-animal ratio was quite high. So what that means is we were at our maximum capacity for the animals we could care for, versus our staffing,” Smith says.

She says they still have animal control contracts, so they’ll still be taking strays in areas they service, but for pet owners who are looking to surrender their pets, they could be placed on a waiting list and PAWS will call when they have space available.

Smith says September is traditionally the busiest month for intake.

“Numbers start going up in the spring, and they increase all summer and then we tend to peak in September. It definitely strains our resources. September and October traditionally stay quite busy, and then as we go into winter, things tend to slow down. Funding has been down this year. I think everyone is feeling financial strain, this year particularly. It’s impacting our fundraising, and that’s the way the public can help,” Smith adds.

If you’re considering adopting, this is a good time to drop by the shelter and meet with an adoption counsellor, to see if they can match you with an animal.

PAWS also has its signature fundraiser coming up this weekend. The PAWS walk will be held at Riverfront Park on Saturday, September 16.

Smith adds they are always looking for foster homes, “You can find the link to become a foster home on our website. What that means is, maybe there’s a pregnant cat or kittens that are too young to go up for adoption. You care for those animals in your home. We provide you with everything you need and then they come back to us when they’re when they’re ready to be adopted.”