Photo courtesy of APARC Medicine Hat

By Jayson Taylor

Medicine Hat APARC in desperate need of fosters for cats and dogs

Jul 4, 2023 | 4:45 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Alberta Pound and Rescue Centre (APARC) in Medicine Hat is in dire need of people willing to foster animals.

Since this past March, the centre has taken in over 150 animals and currently has close to 200 total animals in its care currently. The centre stated on social media that they are in desperate need of people who want to foster an animal as the number of animals is nearing capacity.

The current facility is nearing the point where they can no longer take in animals as there is little room left available for animals to be held. This comes despite the fact that the shelter has transferred approximately 50 animals to other shelters to free up space, but the shelter continues to receive anywhere 2-5 animals every day.

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Bethany Rann, who works at the APARC in Medicine Hat, says that the biggest hope for the centre currently is to move approximately half of the animals that they can move.

“For right now, since we are focusing mostly on cats, we would like to have half of our capacity in foster care. 50 would be the primary goal to get out,” Rann said on Tuesday.

Cats are being especially emphasized by the shelter due to the larger numbers of cats in the shelter and the fact that dogs are reclaimed pretty quickly. Cats stay longer at the shelter due to either being strays, getting lost from home, or being abandoned, something that prevents a lot of people from fostering cats.

The shelter is also taking in financial help as well in order to get all their animals the proper vaccinations and treatments that are needed to help the animals get back to a healthy life.

The announcement from APARC comes at a time when the Medicine Hat location is moving from their location on South Railway Street to a new location on Gershaw Drive, which they hope will be opened sometime in October.

Those who are interested in fostering an animal can visit their website, Facebook, or call them at 403-487-5671 to get in contact with staff.