Overwhelmed by homeless dogs, Eastern Townships animal shelter seeks adoptive families

Since Quebec lifted its public health restrictions earlier this year, interest in adopting dogs has diminished — leaving the Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA) in the Eastern Townships overwhelmed.

The SPA, located in Sherbrooke, Que., is urging people in the region to consider adopting or fostering dogs in the midst of declining interest.

There was a major uptick in dog adoptions during lockdowns at the height of the pandemic, said SPA spokesperson Alexane Bégin. She said a lot of people have since realized they no longer have time to care for a dog. Many have brought the animals to shelters after they resumed working away from home.

The SPA is making do with its limited resources, Bégin said.

"We've even cleared out some employees' offices to make more room for them, but our space is overflowing," said Bégin. "We really rely on foster families who can temporarily take dogs in."

The SPA has also been seeing an increasing number of stray dogs. They sometimes show up in groups of two or three, and Bégin said the shelter's workers suspect most haven't been on the street for very long.

With a decreasing number of demands for adoption, dogs are ending up spending longer periods of time at the shelter, which gives them less of a chance of "finding their family," Bégin said.

Those interested in getting a furry friend can fill out adoption applications on the SPA Estrie's website.