Lost & Found

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Strays in our Care

There are currently no strays held at the shelter.

Reclaiming Stray Pets

In our efforts to reunite pets with their families, every stray animal brought to our shelter is carefully scanned for a microchip and given a safe, temporary home. Each stray animal is posted on our website and listed as a stray for 72 hours. If an owner doesn’t come forward within this period, the animal officially becomes an animal of SPCA Swift Current. After completing all intake and health checks, they’ll be added to our list of adoptable pets, ready to find a new loving home.

To reclaim your pet, please bring identification and proof of ownership. Required documents may include veterinary records that show the owner’s name and address, matching both the owner’s ID and the description of the stray pet; a valid City of Swift Current pet license; an adoption contract from a shelter; or other relevant documents. Your own personal ID is also necessary as part of the reclaiming process. All associated fees must be paid to SPCA Swift Current to release your pet.

Please note that SPCA Swift Current reserves the right to control access to pets in the shelter at the discretion of the Shelter Manager to ensure each animal’s welfare.

Microchipping

All pets adopted from the SPCA Swift Current are microchipped, and we also provide microchipping of non-shelter pets by appointment. It’s a simple, minutes-long procedure and could help you find your pet if it becomes lost.

Inserted just under the animal’s skin, the microchip is registered to your contact information. Most shelters and veterinary clinics can scan the chip. We can perform the procedure for non-shelter pets for just $50.

To make a microchipping appointment, please call (306) 773-1806.

Young stylish couple walking with dog in street
Young stylish couple walking with dog in street

Surrenders & Strays

Surrenders

Pet owners surrendering pets that they can no longer keep must call the shelter before bringing in the animal(s) so we can ensure that we have space to take the animal(s) at the time. If the shelter has space at the time, an appointment will be made for drop off. If space is not available, the staff will add the pet to the waitlist and discuss other interim options with you; we will contact you as space becomes available. It is a crime to drop and abandon animals anywhere unattended and the shelter does use video surveillance to monitor its shelter premises.

When you call with a potential surrender, the staff will ask what you know about the pet’s health history and behaviour to best plan for intake. The shelter reserves the right to refuse entry to pets with behavioural issues. Aggressive behavioural issues may impact the safety of our staff and the safety of potential adoptive families.

The shelter generally charges a surrender fee per pet to offset some of the many costs associated with the pet’s care and preparation for adoption.

Strays

We typically charge a surrender fee for each animal to offset some of the costs associated with their care. However, this fee can be waived when the pet is a stray. In this scenario, we may ask for a donation to support the pet. 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.

When a stray animal is brought to the SPCA either by the public or by City Bylaw Officers, it will be scanned for a microchip and safely housed. We’ll post the animal on our website for 72 hours, and if the owner does not come forward, it will become an animal of the SPCA Swift Current and put up for adoption. In cases where the owner may not be able to come right away for their pet, we kindly ask that they get in touch so we can make other arrangements.

Once the owner produces proof of ownership, all fees must be paid in full before the animal can go home, including additional costs such as necessary medical treatment provided by the SPCA.

Pound Process & Fees

Costs, such as necessary medical treatment provided by us, are the responsibility of the reclaiming owner, if found.

If an owner has not come forward after 72 hours, the animal becomes the property of the SPCA Swift Current, after which we provide all the additional services (grooming, vaccinations, etc.) afforded the other pets in our care. Only Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan has the authority to conduct animal welfare investigations.

Kitten Care

How do I care for a litter of kittens without their mother?

The most important thing to do first, is to make sure the kittens stay warm.
Providing a milk supplement like Kitten Milk Replacer is important in ensuring the kittens receive the much needed nutrition that they’re missing out on. If you cannot find KMR, supplementing with goat’s milk is an acceptable option. Please DO NOT give kittens cows milk, as they cannot properly digest it and it can cause them to become sick.
Kittens approximately 3 weeks and under need to be stimulated to urinate and have bowel movements. Without stimulation, this can also cause them to become sick.
If you have any questions, please reach out to a veterinarian or your local shelter.

Shelter Capacity

If we are at capacity, shelter staff will discuss options with you which will depend on your particular situation. These may include adding your name to our waiting list to be contacted, discussions on other ways to care for the pet in the meantime, and in some cases access to a registry of people looking to take farm cats. Our wait time varies from weeks to months, depending on capacity, cleaning, or awaiting other pets’ movement through the quarantine stage. The waitlist may also shrink quickly if others on the list find other placements or change their minds about surrendering their pet, meaning we can’t always predict the length of wait.

Report Abuse

The SPCA Swift Current is unable to undertake investigations of animal abuse; this is not part of our mandate as an organization. Operating across most of the province, Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan is the organization which undertakes welfare complaints for Saskatchewan’s animals.
REPORT ABUSE
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