THUNDER BAY -- There's such a thing as being too good at your job, even if your job is animal welfare.
The addition of a second regional Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals agent has led to a record intake of neglected and abused animals at the Thunder Bay & District Humane Society as the latter runs over capacity and far over budget.
The humane society is holding 120 cats in its 80-cat facility due to this year's increase in seizures. It has spent $140,000 on investigations already this year, more than three times exceeding its $56,000 budget.
"We knew it was going to be at a cost to us. What we didn't know was with their mandate change, our mandate changed," said Humane Society executive director Melanie Blanchette.
"Education and public awareness was at the forefront of our mandate. Now that we have two bodies covering this district, people are aware of the work we do and we're being pulled in every direction. We just haven't made up for it on the back end with any resources."
The OSPCA has seized double the number of cats as it did in 2015 and the humane society is paying $80,000 in veterinarian bills alone to treat the animals, as many of them have desperate health needs.
Blanchette normally sees costs subside as autumn fades to winter but even that can't be relied upon in this abnormally challenging year.
"We're coming to this time of year when it starts to cool off -- summer births subside -- but they're not," she said.
"Every day we're getting a pregnant cat or a cat and a new litter of kittens. Usually it stops in October but it's continuing. It's alarming."
Blanchette said animal care workers are volunteering their time but the humane society could employ twice as much staff and it would barely meet the demand.
Although the organization received a $10,000 relief fund over the summer, its calls for funding to the city and the OSPCA have gone unanswered.
Fundraising campaign launched
The humane society launched its "Pause and Give" fundraising campaign on Wednesday as it seeks solutions to rise above its financial challenges.
Blanchette recognizes not every family can bring home a new kitten for the holidays she's hoping those that can't will commit money as a gift.
"We just continue to adapt with the little we have," Blanchette said.
"We don't want to say 'no.' We never will."
