The City of Calgary is launching a three-month pilot project to see if it makes sense for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) to handle the city’s pet adoption services.
The city said it will continue to provide medical and dental care, vaccinations and spaying and neutering of feral or stray animals admitted to the Animal Service Centre. However, once the animals are treated, they will now be transferred to AARCS instead of staying in the city’s shelter.
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“One of our goals is to significantly reduce the time that adoptable pets spend in a shelter, for the overall welfare of the animals,” said Tara Lowes, superintendent of administration and animal shelter services for the City of Calgary.
“AARCS has an extensive fostering network, which increases the opportunity for animals to be cared for in homes instead of in our shelter, while they wait to become part of a new family.”
The pilot comes on the heels of a review of the city’s shelter operations last year in which officials worked to identify efficiencies, cost savings and service improvements.
When the pilot wraps up, the city and AARCS will determine if the changes should be made permanent.
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The city says it expects the Animal Services Centre will reduce its hours of operation during the pilot, and any changes will be noted on Calgary.ca/pets.
The City of Calgary will continue to work with other partner rescue agencies throughout the pilot, including the Calgary Humane Society and MEOW Foundation.