Montreal SPCA hosts free adoption day after influx of animals this summer

Montrealers, some arriving as early as 6 a.m., lined the sidewalk Sunday for the SPCA’s no-fee adoption event.

According to the SPCA, there were 140 cats, 52 dogs, and 70 “small animals” up for adoption.

Some were in line an estimated four hours; the wait this year was made more pleasant by entertainment outside.

The event comes two weeks after Moving Day in the province, where animals are often abandoned because of a move.

The SPCA says it took in an average of 20 animals per day between June 29 and July 5 – one quarter of which were linked to Moving Day.

Anne went to the event hoping to bring one animal to their new forever home, but left with two instead.

“I was supposed to get one, but no. I just bought the other one. I’ve got two,” she said.

“When I saw them, the look they’ve done to me: wow. My heart was for them.”

Dominique was looking for a cat after losing hers six days ago.

“A loving, caring cat that I would like,” she said.

While most people were looking for cats and dogs, some people like Mathis were looking for less common pets – like domestic rats.

“They’re basically small puppies,” Mathis said. “It’s a bit like a crossing between dogs and ferrets in a lot of aspects, like they listen to their names, they can learn stuff.”

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Laurence Massé, the executive director of the Montreal SPCA, says waiving adoption fees is an effective practice for shelters to connect animals with qualified families, without a significant impact on return rate.

“We waive the fee, but we don’t waive the process behind,” Massé said. “So we make sure that our adoption counsellor meets with the adopters and they have the proper conversation around the adoption. So that way the people that are coming here to adopt an animal, they know what they get into when they adopt that animal.”

The SPCA warns families must budget for the costs linked to caring for an animal. According to the Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (AMVQ), the average annual cost of having a cat is $2,400. Caring for a dog ranges between $2,700 and $3,400, while rabbits cost $1,500 every year on average.