Abandoned pets being left in GTA park is a growing problem: Parks Canada

The number of domestic and exotic animals abandoned in the wild is a growing problem, including at one GTA park where the issue has increased three-fold in recent years.

Parks Canada says they are seeing more and more pets being left in Rouge National Urban Park — rescue teams are working hard to find the neglected animals and prevent further cases.

“We try and get them, and get them to good health, and to a home where they should be,” says Stu Johnston, member of the search and rescue group Team Chelsea.

Johnston and his team spend many hours combing the 75 square-kilometre park, situated between Scarborough and Pickering, for pets that have been left out in the wild. Team Chelsea was once just an operation looking for missing animals, but has now become something much more grim.

Johnston recounts a missing black-and-white husky, likely abandoned by an owner, that spent two weeks in the same area of the huge park before deciding to move elsewhere.

“Any dog that’s abandoned never leaves an area, it just sits there and waits and waits for the owner to come back,” Johnston says.

The black-and-white husky was eventually secured by the team after more than a month of searching.

“We’ve gone as long as 62 days for dogs,” says Johnston. “Some are quick and some take awhile.”

The rescue team puts out traps in hopes of luring domestic animals before the natural elements takeover.

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Parks Canada warns that an animal accustomed to living in someone’s home is typically unable to fend for itself if left alone in the wild.

“Pets and domestic animals that previously relied on owners to care for them and provide food and shelter are not equipped to survive in the wild,” reads a statement from Parks Canada. “These animals can also carry and pass diseases, parasites, and viruses to native species.”

In November, the remains of another dog was discovered in Rouge Park just north of the Toronto Zoo, along with a mat and other items. Animal experts believe the dog succumbed to starvation and freezing temperatures.

Hannah Sotropa is the assistant manager of communications at the Toronto Human Society, she says the organization is focused on finding ways to give pet owners more support to prevent abandonment. She says more than 40,000 animals in Ontario are relinquished by their owners each year, or found as strays.

“The issue is prevalent, but through understanding the reasons behind animal abandonment we are better able to support owners before it gets to that point,” Sotropa says.

The Toronto Humane Society offers a number of services for people struggling to take care of their pets, including a public pet food bank, a veterinary services clinic, and even foster-care if it’s needed.