A small animal rescue charity is close to being overrun after receiving an unprecedented wave of unwanted creatures from Richmond.
“I don’t have time anymore” and “It’s not what I expected” are just two of the excuses given to the Small Animal Rescue Society of BC in recent weeks.
One former pet owner from Richmond even admitted to having bought a Guinea pig to keep her kids occupied during the teachers’ strike.
Over the last three weeks, around 50 small pets from Richmond have been surrendered to the society, a volunteer-driven rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing charity, which houses the animals in foster homes across the province until they can be adopted out.
“I’m not sure why we’ve been getting so many from Richmond recently; I think there are more big box stores selling small pets,” said the society’s Lisa Hutcheon, who said the charity, which relies totally on donations, has more than 200 animals in its care right now.
“It is ‘dumping time’ right now, when people’s lives get busier and they start to realize how much care these little guys need.”
Some families, said Hutcheon, are making some very bad decisions, such as buying hedgehogs.
The ‘hogs may look cute, but, explained Hutcheon, they are “prickly, can bite and are nocturnal.”
“Why would you have a pet that only comes out at night?”
“We’ve never had so many in our care in our 10 years,” added Hutcheon, who said the society is caring for many kinds of small pets, from hamsters to rabbits and even rats.
“Rats are actually great pets; they’re smart, have a short life span, are social, they’re up during the day and are surprisingly clean animals.”
Too many are still making impulse buys, said Hutcheon, instead of doing a little research.
“It’s amazing how people manage to find us when they don’t want their pet any more, but they don’t come this way when they’re buying,” said Hutcheon, pointing out they have dozens of fantastic potential pets for adoption fees as little as $5.
“The numbers are overwhelming right now and I would ask people to consider very carefully before buying a pet for your child.”
Before buying a small animal as a pet, Hutcheon’s advice is to:
1. Sit down with your family and make it a joint decision;
2. Know how long it’s going to live;
3. When is the animal awake and does it bite?
4. If you’re just going to keep it for a month or so then give up on it, what sort of message are you sending your child?
5. Get adoption advice from the society, which can talk to you about the levels of commitment needed and about vet care.
If you would like to adopt a small animal or provide a foster home, contact the society at [email protected]
