Calgary Humane Society looks forward to its official birthday and expansion unveiling

It’s been 100 years of connecting lost animals with their owners and connecting animals who need homes with people who want them. 

The Calgary Humane Society (CHS) is celebrating its 100-year milestone all year but the upcoming festival and facility expansion are designed to attract potential adopters and foster parents to take part in reducing the influx of animals the organization has been grappling with.

The organization has been an integral part in providing care and support to rescued animals, says director of communications Weston Jacques, adding the pandemic created a bubble of people acquiring animals. 

An influx of ‘pandemic’ pet surrenders 

Now that restrictions have loosened and life starts to get back to a pre-pandemic normal, people have begun to surrender their animals due to financial issues or the lack of ability to take care of them. 

“We are seeing an increase in animal surrenders. These are potentially people who got the COVID puppy and then are going back to work and can no longer care for that animal or have experienced any kind of financial hardships over the pandemic,” Jacques explains, adding the facility is struggling to care for the number of animals coming into the facility. 

“We are seeing an increase in surrenders here at the shelter, but we’re also seeing a decrease in adoptions.”

Expanding the facility 

CHS has teamed up with Alberta company, Mural Mosaic, to create a custom piece of wall art that will be proudly displayed in the newly renovated reception area. 

The Facility Enhancement Project will create new and improved spaces for animals in shelter as they wait to find their forever family. The $100 for 100 Community Mosaic campaign is a chance for Calgarians to be a part of the transformation while helping give back to the facility. 

“We wanted to give Calgarians an opportunity to kind of leave a mark on the building, and so we came up with this idea to do the community mosaic,” he says. 

For a $100 donation, people can purchase a tile for the mosaic. On that tile, you can submit a photo of yourself or your pets or you with your pets, then it will be included on the large mosaic.

Jacques hopes that by creating a community mosaic that celebrates pet owners and pets alike, and by inviting all Calgarians to the birthday party and grand opening of the expansion on August 6, they will help encourage more donations and adoptions in the future. 

Investing back into the organization 

Getting citizens involved in the transformation project by leaving their legacy gives people a chance to invest in a bigger facility that will be able to ease difficulties in taking animals in but there are other ways to help, too. 

“Check out the animals on our website and maybe come down and adopt. Or we’re also always looking for foster parents,” he says. 

“And if people are able to open up their home temporarily to an animal and foster it before it goes up for adoption, that’s one way you can support us as well.”

Along with the mosaic, the reopening will be held at the Calgary Humane Society dog park, with a variety of music, food vendors, and festival activities for all ages.