Medicine Hat SPCA is looking for donations and volunteers / Photo: CHAT News Today

By Meghan Cobb

Medicine Hat SPCA looking for donations, volunteers

Jul 23, 2022 | 6:07 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Medicine Hat SPCA is calling on the community for help to be able to meet the current high demand for its services.

The SPCA held a bottle drive and open house on Saturday to let Hatters know what they can do to support the shelter.

“We wanted to bring some attention to the community and remind them that we are here,” said Tom Carney, Medicine Hat SPCA Shelter Director.

The animal shelter is at capacity and needs both material and monetary donations to be able to provide quality care for the animals it houses. Carney says they always need wet and dry food for cats and dogs, and toys are always welcomed by all the animals.

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“While they’re here we really like to focus on the enrichment,” Carney said. “Making it a comfortable place for all the dogs and cats.”

The open house raised $695 from the barbeque, $295 from swag, and $505 in donations. The total number of bottles collected is still being counted.

Animal adoption increased at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but since returning to pre-pandemic life, and with inflation continuing to climb, more and more animals are being surrendered to shelters like the SPCA.

“In general people are having a hard time making ends meet, and I think that is trickling down to animal care,” said Carney.

Donations and fundraising has slowed for the SPCA over the past couple of years making it difficult to provide the highest level of care for the animals.

The SPCA does not euthanize for space, animals who are waiting for a spot at the shelter stay at a local kennel until a space opens up.

The SPCA currently has a waitlist for animals to be moved into the shelter.

“We will consider a lot of foster people,” Carney said about those looking to provide a temporary home for an animal. “The application form is on our website and then we’ll go through the process to find out if people are willing and able to help us out.”

There are nearly 20 dogs and 80 cats at the SPCA waiting for their forever home.

The SPCA does vet adoption applicants and tries to match animals with families as best it can. Carney advises anyone thinking about adopting a pet to chose an animal that fits easily into their lifestyle.

“If you’re looking at a dog and you have young children, if it’s a working dog, really do some research on that,” said Carney. “They like to herd children and animals so that might not be the best fit.”

Volunteers are also needed at the shelter. An application from can be found on the website for positions ranging from fostering, to dog walking, to cat grooming.