Say the words “kitten season” and most people imagine a daisy field filled with fluffy kittens romping around. But Steven Kaufman, a certified animal welfare administrator and
But Steven Kaufman, a certified animal welfare administrator and centre of excellence manager for adoptions at PetSmart Charities, said as cute as kittens are, spring’s kitten season can be one of the most challenging times of the year for animal welfare organizations.
“It’s estimated that 20 million kittens will be born this spring. To put that in perspective, that’s twice as many kittens as there are people living in Toronto,” said Kaufman. “As a result, the waiting rooms of veterinary clinics, animal welfare agencies, rescues and shelters are overrun with people holding boxes of unplanned litters of homeless kittens. It’s challenging to find the resources, volunteers and finances to provide food, shelter, vaccinations and veterinary care to so many kittens during such a short amount of time, not to mention finding them the forever homes they deserve.”
To better understand perceptions of pet homelessness, a recent online survey of 1,000 Canadian pet owners was commissioned by PetSmart Charities of Canada and conducted by Wakefield Research.
The survey revealed that the vast majority of people significantly underestimate the number of pets entering shelters. 87 per cent of Canadians surveyed believe less than one million homeless pets enter shelters each year in North America, but the actual number is closer to 6.5 million.
That’s why PetSmart and PetSmart Charities want to find homes for as many kittens, cats, dogs and wonderful pets as possible by encouraging North Americans to visit May National Adoption Weekend events held at more than 1,500 PetSmart stores across North America from May 5 to 7.
Not looking for a pet? You can still help animal welfare organizations cope with kitten season by participating in PetSmart’s Pet Supply Drive, May 1 to 28, where shoppers can purchase/donate much-needed items at all stores across North America.
