A German Shepherd puppy who was found unresponsive at a home in late February is one of many residents at the near-capacity Regina Humane Society.
The society’s animal protection officers were called to a home by the Regina Police Service, where they found the puppy who they believe was fed narcotics, according to a Wednesday news release from the human society. Nellie, now seven months old, has been at the Regina Humane Society since Feb. 29.
The Regina Humane Society’s director of marketing and public relations, Bill Thorn, said Nellie has since recovered.
“She’s bouncy, she’s happy, she loves to play; but she’s still here and we don’t understand why — and she’s a really good example of pets that should be in a home,” Thorn said.
WATCH | This dog was seized after a drug overdose and still needs a good home:
Nellie is a seven-month-old German Shepherd who was seized by animal protection officers after the Regina Police Service discovered her “largely unresponsive” after being fed or ingesting narcotics. The Regina Humane Society is searching for an adoptive home for her.
Thorn said some dogs have been staying in the shelter for more than two months and the shelter is nearing capacity.
Last week, Thorn said the shelter had filled about 45 of its 60-kennel capacity, but expected that it would grow.
The average time a dog spent in a Regina Humane Society kennel was 11 days last year. Thorn said that’s increased to 19 days.
He believed the adoption rate has been falling behind the humane society’s intake rate because of the rising cost of living, the costs of veterinary care and a fallout from the pandemic.
The humane society is making a plea for people to consider adopting a dog.
“We are seeing an unprecedented increase in the number of dogs we’re receiving and also they’re staying a lot longer,” said Lisa Koch, Regina Humane Society’s Executive Director.
She called it a crisis situation as the organization heads into its peak intake seasons: spring and summer.
“We have all these beautiful faces here that are waiting and waiting … and we know that there are more animals that are coming in that are going to need our help,” Koch said.
Koch said the humane society has ongoing adoption events and promotions to encourage people to adopt dogs like Nellie.
CBC has contacted Regina police for more details about the puppy’s seizure and is awaiting response.
