Proanima struggles with record pet surrenders as Moving Day fallout continues

Montréal's Proanima animal shelter is buckling under a surge of pet surrenders that shows no signs of slowing down, with the shelter predicting the coming weeks will be its busiest.

Intakes have been climbing since May, spiked higher in June, and continued rising through July. During peak moving season, the facility hit nearly 50 intakes per day. By the weekend before the shelter's recent adoption event, Proanima was housing close to 200 animals on-site — approaching capacity.

"We don't want to get to full capacity because as we would compare it to a hospital, we want to make sure that we have enough room for emergencies," said Anny Kirouac, executive director of Proanima. To make space, the shelter held a month-long adoption event from June 19 to July 19, finding homes for 590 animals.

Beyond adoptions, Proanima is running programs aimed at helping owners keep their pets. The organization operates a low-income spay and neuter clinic and offers temporary housing for people in vulnerable situations — including those fleeing domestic violence or requiring hospitalization. "Our team is pretty good at finding different solutions to keep families together," Kirouac said.

Dr. Vincent Paradis, a veterinarian and director of shelter medicine, emphasized Proanima's "philosophy of open adoption." The approach prioritizes conversation with potential adopters about matching them with animals that fit their lifestyle, rather than imposing strict vetting processes.