There has been a significant increase in the number of reported stray animals in the Athabasca area over the holidays. One local expert said she’s taken in double the number of animals she did this time last year.
The rise does not point to a greater number of animals out there, but rather a heightened public awareness of the resources to address stray animals, according to Vicki Stafford, the owner and operator of Sammy’s Pet Boarding.
Sammy’s has been in operation since April 1, 2007, and is located about 23 kilometres northwest of the Town of Athabasca. Stafford said she may be busy, but it means more animals are out of harm’s way, even if they are confined in her facility for a time.
Stafford is paid to board animals, but she also takes in strays if they are identified in the community and the community peace officer for the Town of Athabasca or Athabasca County drops them off.
The challenge over the Christmas season, she said, is when people go away and leave their pets to be looked after by a trusted friend or family member; the animals sometimes sense something is wrong and deviate from the home, becoming strays.
The people in whose care the pets are left are unfamiliar to the animals. Pets are attuned to the quirks of their owners and can have difficulty coping with the change in routine.
“They’re creatures of habit,” said Stafford.
“I’d have to say that there is an increase (in reported strays), because there is more of an awareness of the resources that are available in the area,” she said, adding that she is not obligated to do the work she does, as Sammy’s is a boarding facility and not an animal rescue shelter.
However, especially outside of normal business hours, Stafford said she feels morally obligated to the strays to bring them in out of harm’s way.
Stafford said people “know who to call now, so instead of leaving the animal, or not trying to find the owner … there’s just more awareness of what’s available as options to people out there.”
For those animals who are not claimed by an owner, Stafford assumes ownership after 72 hours, has it vaccinated and microchipped (an electronic implant placed under the skin of an animal that contains information about the animal) and preferably spayed or neutered by a veterinarian, and puts it up for adoption.
She said she does after-hours work to ensure the public has someone to contact 24/7 if a stray is located.
“I’m generally the first person that somebody calls. It gives people that resource for after-hour calls when they can’t get a hold of … Shaun (Woloschuk) or Ryan (Alice) with the town or county, when there’s nobody else available,” said Stafford, who works in tandem with the Town of Athabasca and Athabasca County’s community peace officers.
“We’re looking at public safety because we don’t want dogs or cats causing an accident — you know, somebody slamming on their brakes or whatever like that,” said Stafford. “If we can get that animal picked up immediately and in safe confines, then it’s safer for everybody.”
