‘Devastating’: Alberta animal rescue closes intake due to financial issues

The Second Chance Animal Rescue Society in Alberta says it doesn't have enough cash to continue accepting animal intakes. Amanda Anderson reports.

Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS) says it has closed its animal intake because of financial pressures.

The organization made the announcement on Monday and spoke to CTV News Edmonton about it on Tuesday.

“We just aren’t able to keep up. Our finances are strapped, and we have to provide the absolute care that the animals need,” Lorraine Spreadbury of SCARS said.

“We need their food, their veterinary medicine, and to fund our employees that care for them so deeply each day. So we’ve reached a point that we need to slow down on our intakes so that we can catch up and get some more funds coming into SCARS.”

The organization relies on donations to fund its operations.

“Our biggest donation time period is the months of October, November and December, and we operate through the year knowing that big funds are coming to us towards the end of the year that unfortunately at the end of 2025 didn’t happen,” Spreadbury said.

“We’ve come into this new year without the reserves that we usually have that we need to carry us through.”

The non–profit focuses on helping animals from remote parts of Alberta.

Spreadbury says anywhere from 1,800 to 2,200 animals get help from SCARS in a year.

“We know that somebody’s next best friend is stuck in a pound somewhere, or somebody’s therapy dog is just waiting to come into our care. And we are having to say ‘We can’t help right now.’ So it is quite devastating.”

Others in the animal welfare system aren’t surprised to hear about the situation with SCARS.

“This community has been overwhelmed for the last several years, and we know that space is tight everywhere, and so it’s unfortunate. I feel for them. I know how hard that would be to make that decision,” Leanne Niblock of the Alberta SPCA told CTV News Edmonton.

She added the decision will have ripple effects across the community, especially at the Alberta SPCA.

“We aren’t a physical shelter. When we remove animals out of distress, we rely on our partners to take them into their care to then adopt them or foster them out into loving homes.”

SCARS is asking for people to make a one-time donation or become a sponsor.

Spreadbury says the rescue, which has facilities in Morinville and Athabasca, will resume intakes when the financial situation improves.

“We have to operate as a responsible charity. If we don’t have the funds and we don’t have the backing to be able to afford it, then that would be incredibly irresponsible, and SCARS is not going to do that.”

With files from CTV New Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson.