What to know
- Toronto Animal Services is waiving adoption fees for large dogs from March 23 to April 23, with free dog food included through a NutriCanine partnership.
- Large dogs stay in shelters for 1.5 times longer than smaller dogs, partly due to condo living, space limits, and pet restrictions in the city.
- While bigger dogs suit active lifestyles and companionship, higher food costs can be a drawback.
For the next month, Toronto Animal Services will be waiving adoption fees for large dogs.
The city’s animal shelter has partnered with Toronto-based fresh dog food company NutriCanine to provide free dog adoption services for the second year in a row. This year, the promotion focuses on large dogs, as they “remain in shelters an average of 1.5 times longer than their smaller counterparts.”
From March 23 to April 23, all adoption fees for large dogs and puppies of large-dogs breeds will be waived. Every new adoption will also receive a first NutriCanine dog food order for free.
Jessica Nichol, the Senior Manager of Shelter Care at the Toronto Humane Society, says Toronto’s urban environment can be a main factor for large dogs not getting adopted as often.
“One is to recognise [Torontonians] live in an urban environment. How many people in the GTA have houses? Most people are probably living in apartment buildings or condos,” she explains.
Nichol says people might have the misconception that, because they rent or own a small living space, it would be more difficult to accommodate a larger size dog, especially if the building has weight restrictions for pets.
“I think there are some places where they might have weight restrictions for a dog, or they might discourage having a larger dog in the building,” she says. “So when people are looking for affordable housing, if there is already a barrier about having a larger dog, then it’s understandable they might prefer a smaller dog.”
If money is a sore spot, then Nichol says the amount of food a larger dog eats could be a con.
“A larger dog is going to eat more by virtue of their size, so it’s going to be a more expensive cost than somebody’s going to have to deal with month to month.”
But Nichol says there are plenty of pros to adopting a larger dog — both for people who are more active, and people who enjoy spending time on the couch. Because larger dogs have more stamina, you can take them out for a hike or a longer run.
“If you have a larger dog and they’re active, and you’re also an active person, you can take that dog out, and you can go running. You can go out of the city and go hiking on the weekends. That’s really a benefit,” she says. “If you like to cuddle on the couch and you like to have a big old couch potato next to you, then what is better than a cuddly large dog?”
Torontonians interested in adopting a dog through the city’s animal services can find out more here.
