Viewpoint: Humane society pets living cheek by jowl

By Tim Trow, President, Toronto Humane Society

I know we can sometimes sound like the boy who cried wolf, but we always operate at the very edge of our capacity because we never resort to euthanasia to keep the numbers in check. People know that if they bring in a lost dog or cat, or surrender a pet to us, that the animal will be housed, fed and medically cared for until we find her a new home.

But the truth is, we have never been so overwhelmed by the sheer number of animals in our care. More than 700 cats, 150 dogs and 150 small mammals call The Toronto Humane Society home right now. That’s at the limit of our space. Cats are living in cages in the hallways and bunking down in offices.

Any other shelter in our position—even the most humane of the lot—would start euthanizing the least-adoptable of the animals to make space and reduce pressure. At the THS we could never imagine killing off older dogs or weakened kittens just to make room for the easy-to-adopt. We can’t do that.

You’ve helped the animals in the past. Please help them again right now. If you‚ve been considering adopting a new pet, don’t delay. Do it today. Do it this weekend. If you know anyone—friends, relatives, neighbours—who are thinking about sharing their life with a new dog, cat or rabbit, tell them to come to the THS immediately.

We need to find homes for at least 200 cats and 50 dogs this weekend. Each and every one of these animals is an innocent creature put at risk for the simple crime of being homeless. Help the animals. Act now!