Members of the general public may bring in pets they believe to be strays or homeless animals. If you have an animal you may want to bring in, the first step should be a call to the shelter to discuss the situation. The shelter staff will discuss current capacity with you and our ability to accept the animal, as well as any concerns around catching and transporting the animal and other related considerations. Those wishing to bring in animals are responsible for catching and safely transporting the animals. The Swift Current SPCA’s mandate does not include trapping cats or catching stray dogs. (The latter service is done by the City). The SPCA does have cat cages for loan/rent if required. The Shelter is unable to accept wild, vicious, aggressive or otherwise unadoptable animals as they pose a safety risk to staff and to potential adoptive families.

A Note on the Swift Current SPCA’s Role During Stray Impoundment
The Swift Current SPCA’s role regarding stray animals is limited legally during the short impoundment period to:

  • housing and feeding the animals in a safe place for a set period of impoundment time while the owner is sought
  • advertising the presence of the animals to try to locate the owners
  • determining proof of ownership when owners come forward>/li>
  • collecting the appropriate pound and licensing fees set by the City of Swift Current from the owner (and turning these fees over to the City)
  • advising and cautioning the owners on any care concerns we feel might be evident

After the impound period is up and if no owners come forward, the animal becomes the property and responsibility of the Swift Current SPCA. At this point we would provide all the further care services (grooming, vaccinations, etc.) we do for other pets in our care.

We do not have the legal authority to conduct animal welfare investigations; that is the role of Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan.

Please be aware that the City of Swift Current Cat Trap Permit requires that you call the SPCA Shelter ahead of bringing in a trapped animal and calling ahead is strongly encouraged in all instances before bringing in a pet. This is to determine whether the shelter currently has space for the animal and to determine how best to intake the pet if it does. When you call with a potential stray or homeless animal, the staff will ask what you know about the pet’s health and behaviour. The shelter reserves the right to refuse entry to pets deemed feral (untamed) and animals with behavioral issues which might impact staff safety or the suitability of the animal for future adoption. We strongly advise that you discuss your stray situation with the shelter before catching the animal as we may be at capacity.
The shelter generally charges a surrender fee per pet to help offset some of the costs associated with the care of the animal; this may be waived where the pet is a stray, however we may ask for a donation to support the pet depending on the circumstances. If it is later determined that an owner has falsely surrendered their own pets as strays, the owner will be held liable for all associated costs.