Humane Canada’s annual report on animal shelter statistics concludes that the pandemic caused some positive trends for companion animals.

The report says that Human Societies and SPCAs had to shift their services to be more community-centred during the lockdown.
Overall across Canada, the shelters saw an increase in the number of foster volunteers, which meant being able to move most of the animals out during those first months of the pandemic.

Shelter intake and populations in the shelter facilities were down about 25 per cent last year, compared to 2019.

The number of cats adopted was the highest rate to date, at almost 70 per cent, and the rate of owners reclaiming their cats was the highest it has been at 17 per cent.

That’s compared to a reclaim rate of 80 per cent of dogs.

The statistics were compiled from 83 shelters across Canada, which Humane Canada has been gathering since 1993.