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Humane Society needs new homes for 40 dogs this holiday

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The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth is asking families to open their hearts and homes to a new pet this holiday season.

“We currently have 40 dogs in care between our Kitchener and Stratford centres, which is higher than previous holidays seasons,” said animal care supervisor Natasha Castellano.

The organization issued the plea on Thursday.

“We’re going back to pre-pandemic numbers and even then, to see 40 dogs in our care at one time is quite high,” said CEO Kathrin Delutis.

Over the last few weeks, the humane society has received an influx of dogs, referring to them as pandemic puppies.

“People are in a position right now between the pandemic and the cost of living and not being able to afford some veterinary care. We are definitely seeing much higher numbers,” said Delutis. “People didn’t understand the time and energy it takes to have a pet and so they haven’t been socialized with other pets or with other humans.”

In a push to find them new homes, adoption fees have been reduced between 25 per cent to 50 per cent.

“So, of the 40 dogs that we currently have in care, 18 are actually ready for adoption. I think two might have actually went home last night so we are starting to make some headway,” added Delutis.

Brooke Bell and her dog Hudson. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV Kitchener)

Some dogs come in with behavioural issues. The humane society is also helping to train the dogs to better prepare them for their new homes. It’s an experience that Brooke Bell is familiar with.

She said adopting her dog Hudson five years ago was the best decision she ever made.

“Once he was at home, he was a little shy at first and he took a bit of time. He’s actually still kind of warming up and changing his personality but he has turned into pretty much the best dog ever,” Bell said.

With Christmas around the corner, the head of the humane society is reminding people there are a number of factors to consider before giving an animal as a gift.

“You know, we talk about how it takes a village to raise a child,” said Delutis. “But it takes a whole family to raise a pet and so we want to make sure that the whole family understands what it’s going to be like.”

All of the available dogs have been listed on the Humane Society’s website, with photos and a short description. The organization said an adoption survey can be filled out online and a team member will reach out to potential adopters if they can make a match. However they have limited staff resources and warned that there could be multiple applications, so anyone wondering about the status of their application is encouraged to call for an update at 519-745-5615 (Kitchener) or 519-273-6600 (Stratford).

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