The city’s animal shelter is full.
Red Deer and District SPCA executive director Julie Crawford said as Christmas approaches, “there’s no room at the inn.”
“We’re turning animals away every day,” Crawford said on Wednesday.
“What we’re finding for the Red Deer area are adoptions are very slow right now. I think it speaks to the state of the economy.”
The shelter has 20 dogs with about eight ready for adoption. Out of its 60 cats, more than 30 are ready to be adopted.
The Red Deer SPCA is a member of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, which supports Iams Home 4 the Holidays, an annual adoption campaign that runs Oct. 1, 2009, to Jan. 4, 2010.
Organizers of the North American campaign hope to see 1.5 million animals adopted.
Red Deer and District SPCA is also trying to raise $1 million for its new Animal Welfare and Humane Education Centre that will double its capacity for homeless pets and provide more educational programming so more animals will have a chance to find a loving family.
Crawford said as a non-profit, it’s important for the construction project to be paid off so there’s no lingering debt.
Drywalling is almost complete at the $3.7-million centre that is expected to open at the end of February.
Other SPCA fundraising activities include a pet gift basket sale from today to Sunday at Parkland Mall and pet pictures with Santa on Dec. 6 at Bower Place Shopping Centre.
Dog licences for 2010 can also be purchased at the SPCA, where $7.50 from each licence sold goes to the SPCA.
For more information on SPCA fundraising, go to www.reddeerspca.com
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com