The Toronto Humane Society needs your help.
Over the past 30 days it has had more than 20 animals surrendered and emergency vet bills are over totalling over $100,000.
It has now set up a fundraising page with the hope of getting the public’s support.
Some owners have fallen on hard times during the pandemic and are just unable to provide the care needed for their furry loved ones. “Of the top ten reasons a person may relinquish their animal, one of those reasons is due to affordability so, the cost of veterinary care, maintenance, every single day,” explains spokesperson Hannah Sotropa.
Of the pets that were surrendered, some were unexpectedly pregnant, had broken bones, or were hit by vehicles.
The THS strongly recommends pet owners invest in pet insurance. “Pet insurance is going to be a great way that you can have peace of mind that in the heat of a stressful moment where you’re faced with a freak accident, you do not need to worry about how you are going to support that animal in need. Some people put money aside and that’ll work if you can do it but many people can’t afford that. The average emergency vet bill is roughly between $3,000 and $5,000 when you’re including hospitalization and surgery,” says Sotropa.
On the flip side of things, there is some good news, the THS has received 8,000 adoption applications since the Spring which will hopefully go a long way in finding an animal their forever home.
Here are just some of the animals surrendered for emergency care:
MIMI
Surrendered July 25 for a cough, diarrhea, a mass, anorexia, bradycardia (slower than normal heart-rate) and to top it all… Mimi was pregnant! She is now starting to improve and eat on her own, and will continue to get stronger in a foster home! Mimi’s grand total cost THS just under $6,500.
Admitted July 27 - Garfield received treatment for feline lower urinary tract disease, vomiting, obesity, constipation and hematuria (blood in the urine). He will also be receiving dental at THS! We are continuing to monitor Garfield’s UTI & constipation. Garfields on-going cost is over $2,700.
Admitteed July 30 - A good Samaritan saw this 2 month old kitten, running across the 401! Chello had a large neck wound that required daily Honey bandage changes or 40+ mins, a day, with one of our registered veterinary technicians. Chello also hard ear mites, diarrhea and was underweight. He has since found his forever home! This little guy cost THS a total cost of over $1,800.