The Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) says costs for caring for animals this year has reached $1 million.
The figure only represents care and veterinary costs and has more than doubled since last year, according to officials.
“We’ve already hit an unfortunate milestone of about $1 million of paying for animals in our care, and that’s not covering any of the costs of the officers, their fuel, their vehicles,” Leanne Niblock of the SPCA told reporters on Tuesday.
“It’s simply shelter, veterinary care, food for the animals that are in our care.”
Niblock says rising cost of living and lifestyle changes since the pandemic are contributing factors to the increase in animals in care.
“A lot of breeders were able to move animals through the pandemic more than they are …