IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STOUFFVILLE, ON (June 7, 2024) – The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is asking the public for assistance after an individual made the difficult decision to surrender 12 Shih Tzus after they could no longer care for the dogs. 

The dogs, many of whom are just eight months old, arrived in poor condition with severe matting and some require dental work. There may be pregnant dogs among the group. The Ontario SPCA’s animal care team is currently examining and grooming the dogs to ensure they receive the necessary care. 

The dogs have been transferred to four Ontario SPCA animal centres in Durham Region, York Region, Barrie and Orangeville. Each dog still requires comprehensive health checks and additional care, such as spay/neuter procedures, before they will be ready for adoption. The estimated cost to care for these dogs is around $20,000, a significant sum that the Society needs assistance to cover. 

“This individual made the right choice in surrendering the dogs to us when they were no longer able to provide the necessary care,” says Sonya Reichel, Vice President of Shelter Operations, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. “However, this situation places a considerable strain on our resources, as our centres are already nearing capacity. We are appealing to the public for support to help us cover the mounting costs associated with caring for these dogs.” 

As a registered charity that does not receive annual government funding, the Ontario SPCA depends on the generosity of donors to change the lives of animals in need. To donate to help provide care and shelter to these dogs, please visit ontariospca.ca/donate

Once they have received a clean bill of health, the dogs will be ready for adoption. Anyone interested in adopting is encouraged to monitor the Ontario SPCA’s website at ontariospca.ca/adopt  

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MEDIA CONTACT 

Media Relations
Ontario SPCA and Humane Society
905-898-7122 x 375
media@ontariospca.ca 

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society  

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is a registered charity that has been changing the lives of animals for over 150 years. The Society provides care, comfort and compassion to animals in need in communities across Ontario. It values all animals and advocates to treat them with respect and kindness. The Society strives to keep pets and families together and do so through a variety of community support services, such as sheltering and adoptions, including emergency sheltering, feral cat management programs, animal transfers, food distribution, humane education, animal advocacy, and spay/neuter services. 

The Ontario SPCA does not receive annual government funding and relies on donations to provide programs and services to help animals in need. To learn more, or to donate, visit ontariospca.ca. Charitable Business # 88969-1044-RR0002. 

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Provincial Office sits on the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Mississaugas of Scugog, Hiawatha and Alderville First Nations and the Métis Nation. This territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. The treaties that were signed for this particular parcel of land are collectively referred to as the Williams Treaties of 1923.