We knew adding a new cargo van for transporting animals was a priority for our organization, but we could not have predicted just how valuable it would be in the first few months. Fortunately, it arrived just in time for one of the busiest springs we’ve experienced.
Since the van was delivered in early March, it has been used to remove hundreds of animals in distress from properties all over Alberta, including more than 50 dogs from an investigation in Mountain View County, and 30+ cats from a garage in the greater Edmonton area.
In the past, our Peace Officers would have used their pickup trucks to transport the animals, but for large seizures, it would often take numerous trips to get all of the animals safely to our caretaking facilities. Now, the animals can be safely loaded and transported in a single, temperature-controlled vehicle.
The need for a new cargo van was identified last fall due to the increasing number of seizures involving large numbers of animals. We decided to make the new van a focus of our Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign in November, and the response of our supporters was overwhelming. More than $76,000 was donated in just one day!
On top of using the van to remove animals in distress from properties across the province, we also use the vehicle to transport animals from caretaking facilities to veterinary appointments and to shelters where they can eventually be connected to their forever families. In the past, these trips were often done by our Peace Officers utilizing their pickup trucks. By utilizing our new van for these excursions, it allows our Peace Officers to spend more time on the road investigating complaints of neglect and abuse in all corners of the province outside the cities of Edmonton and Calgary.
The van still needs some work. We will add shelves and safety harnesses to ensure we can make use of all the space while keeping its precious cargo safe and secure. Unfortunately, we expect the need for the van to continue to grow. The animal welfare community in Alberta faces significant challenges. The high cost of living, issues related to climate change such as more wildfires and floods, and the housing crisis mean fewer families are adopting and more people are looking to surrender their pets. The challenges are immense but thanks to you, our supporters, we are prepared!