VIDEO: Bring a furry friend home for the holidays with Brampton Animal Services adoption

Brampton’s animal shelter has some four-legged friends in need of good homes for the holidays and a way to give a special gift to the animal lovers on your shopping list.

Brampton Animal Services (BAS) said last week that the city’s animal shelter is facing significant challenges and running at full capacity heading into the holiday season.

Combined with a reduced number of adopters due to difficult financial times, BAS says its dog kennels in particular are full and every new stray brought to the shelter is putting additional pressure on the system.

“We never want to get to this point but the sad reality is that there are just too many dogs coming in on a daily basis and our adoptions have slowed significantly,” Brampton Animal Services said in a post. “Dogs who would normally be adopted within a matter of days or weeks are sitting for months and some almost a year without finding homes.”

With capacity strained, Brampton Animal Services says staff “need to start having difficult conversations” about animals who have extended medical or behavioural needs “and whether or not we have adequate time, space and the budget to meet the needs of these animals.”

Some of the pooches up for adoption include Pickle, an affectionate one-year-old male who needs a bit of obedience training but has a lot of love to give. Or Winona, a large and energetic female Rhodesian Ridgeback who gets along great with other dogs and loves to play outside.

But there are more than just dogs looking for their fur-ever homes as the shelter also has many cats, rabbits, hamsters and even a lovebird named Hershey.

Dog adoptions cost $200 plus a licence fee and include vaccinations, sterilization, a free veterinary exam and more to help get your pet ready for their new home. Cat adoptions start at $120 while birds and small animal adoption fees start at $5.

If adoption isn’t an option, Brampton Animal Services is also accepting donations to the Helping Orphaned Pets in Emergencies (HOPE) Fund.

The fund was started in 2001 to raise money for the rehabilitation of sick and injured animals at the shelter so they can be adopted into loving homes, and Brampton Animal Services says a donation can make a perfect gift for the animal lover on your holiday list this year.

All proceeds from donations help pay for extended medical procedures for animals in Brampton Animal Services’ care with no portion used to cover administration or operational expenses.

To see all the animals available for adoption this holiday season or learn more about the Brampton Animal services HOPE Fund click here.

 

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