When looking to adopt a pet, there are many options available to Islanders.

Before looking internationally, the PEI Humane Society recommends working with Canadian shelters and rescue organizations to adopt Canadian dogs domestically to help ease pet overpopulation problems right here at home. There are several programs within Canada that focus on rescuing Canadian dogs from areas where over-population is becoming problematic. For more information on programs designed to make rescuing animals within Canada easier, CLICK HERE

Regardless of which shelter or rescue you’re working with, we recommend making sure you receive information on the following:

Health Checks

If the animal is coming from within Canada, they’re unlikely to have parasites, or illnesses that are not prevalent here in Canada. Known conditions like tapeworms are easy to treat at your local vet clinic. But conditions like Heartworm pose more challenges with regard to treatment. Heartworm is quite prevalent in homeless dogs in the United States and can be relatively undetectable until the condition worsens. Though it appears periodically in Canada when rescued dogs are brought into the country with the condition, heartworm is mostly eradicated in Canadian-born dogs. Many rescues will test for heartworm, but this parasite is passed from dog to dog easily, so it is recommended to test dogs repeatedly before and after they arrive in Canada. We recommend ensuring your chosen rescue tests for heartworm repeatedly before the animal enters Canada. If the rescue does not test for heartworm, we recommend working a different group.

Parvovirus is another condition which cause concern in rescue animals. This illness predominantly impacts puppies and can be incredibly dangerous for their health. Typically, puppies get vaccinated for parvovirus between 6-8 weeks of age. We recommend ensuring your puppy is vaccinated for parvovirus before it comes home with you.

Faster isn’t Better

Once you decide to bring home a new family member, it can be tempting to make a decision on an animal immediately and bring them home the next day. Organizations that allow rapid adoptions or rescues can be great, but it’s important to ensure you get the necessary information about the animal:

• make sure you get a breakdown of the animal’s health and most recent veterinary visit
• make sure you have tested the animal with the other animals in your home
• make sure you are able to bring the animal back to the shelter or rescue if things don’t work out
• make sure you have an idea if the animal has any triggers or behaviours that could make their settling into your home challenging

Large Volumes of Animals

Is the shelter or rescue you’re working with bringing in large volumes of animals from outside the country repeatedly throughout the year? This can be dangerous and pose a risk to pets in your home and in your community.

Health checks take time, and it’s important that animals receive treatment for known conditions as soon as possible. Groups bringing in large volumes of animals repeatedly throughout the year can have trouble keeping track of each animal’s health and providing needed care for such a large volume of patients. Additionally, they may not have the capacity to follow-up directly with adopters to ensure health needs have been addressed in the long-term. This is why we suggest watching out for groups that bring in large groups of animals each year. Though it isn’t always an indicator of bad practice or a “bad rescue”, it can indicate an overwhelmed system that could make it tough for you to help your animal if they become sick in the future.

Many shelters and brick-and-mortar rescue groups in Canada operate under the Capacity for Care model. This internationally-recognized standard dictates how best to maintain the best possible quality of care for animal populations, ensuring minimal risk of disease spread and ensuring wellness for the overall animal population. This standard was created due to the risks of large groups of animals being housed together impacting animals’ health over time. The need for Capacity for Care is obvious: more animals means more risk. So, it’s important to remember that though rescue groups are aiming to help as many animals as possible, the health of each and every one of those animals matters.

How are They Transported?

Large rescue groups will sometimes use transfer trucks to bring animals across international borders. These types of transport conditions can pose a risk to animals’ health as densely packed trucks with kennels packed in side-by-side can be a great breeding ground for kennel cough, parvovirus, heartworm, and other conditions.

Some smaller rescues work one-on-one with animals and an individual volunteer to transport animals one-at-a-time. Though this method is slower, it is a much more effective way to ensure your new pet’s health is protected during transport domestically or internationally.

If you have questions or concerns about an animal shelter or rescue you’re hoping to work with, reach out for help! You can reach us at info@peihumanesociety.com.
We want to help you make the most informed decision possible before bringing your new pet home.