The severe drought conditions around the province that have stunted crops and spiked prices of livestock feed are a cause for concern at Prince George Animal Rescue.
The volunteer-driven non-profit society, which takes on abused and/or unwanted animals at its Pineview property at the end of Bendixon Road east of the airport and tries to find them suitable homes, is feeling the pinch of hay prices that have doubled compared to last year due to a lack of supply.
Local farmers used to having an abundance of high-quality hay are retaining their own crops to have enough to feed their own livestock and there is scarcity of locally-produced feedstocks.
Nicola Redpath, the society’s founder, says PG Animal Rescue needs at least two semi-trailer loads of hay to have enough to last through winter. At $15,000 per truckload, the society is seeking donations to help pay to have at least two loads of hay shipped in from other regions.
“We’re in the same situation as a lot of people are right now,” said Redpath. “The hay shortage is all across the province.
“Usually we help other people (harvest) their hay and we take a portion of that, which gets us through the year. We use our equipment to help other farmers out, but they haven’t had enough for themselves and that’s put us in a position where we’ve had to look at places to purchase our hay and we’re not able to do that this year because there’s not a lot of people that have any hay for sale.”
The shelter has 20 horses which require hay free of dirt or mold, which can make horses sick. Horse hay also can’t contain alsike clover, which is known to cause equine liver failure.
Redpath says they have enough hay to last through November but not beyond that.
‘To have hay delivered it can be up to $300 for a 1,300-pound bail,” said Redpath.
“Some people are having to get it out of the Okanagan area, but even the Vanderhoof and Quesnel areas, what they’ve been able to produce has already been bought up or people just need that for their own livestock and are unable to see anything. We’re all in the same boat in Prince George.”
PG Animal Rescue also has seven goats, two llamas, 12 dogs, chicken and ducks.
She says all the dogs at the facility are large breeds and she’s anxious to find them homes because the PG Animal Rescue is at full capacity, unable to meet the demand to take on dogs that have been surrendered to the North Cariboo SPCA or Prince George Humane Society shelters.
Donors who want to help PG Animal Rescue can email money transfers directly to [email protected]. In response to the crisis, the Brink Group of Companies has donated $5,000.
For more information go to the website or call 250-981-8458.
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