The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has noted an increase in the number of stray animals admitted to their shelter.

In their endeavour to provide a home for the animals, they have collaborated with other animal welfare organizations to organize a joint animal adoption drive.

SPCA Executive Committee President, Seema Deo says they receive around 4,000 animals annually, who are either relinquished or rescued from communities.

“We know there’s a lot of animals that have been abandoned, that are pet swans, that people have been leaving the country, they’ve been migrating, moving homes from, you know, they just moved to a different town, and many people tend to leave the animals behind, hoping that someone else will look after them.”

Deo says they have often exceeded their capacity with the influx of stray animals.

“So, every few weeks you will have probably 25 animals that find a home, but we will bring into the shelter up to three times that, so you might see 60 animals, and that includes little babies that come into the shelter that’s not always healthy enough to survive. So some animals will sadly be euthanized and others will find a home at the shelter first before they’re adopted.”

The week-long joint animal adoption drive, known as the Annual Fur-ever Friends Fiji Day will run until Saturday.

It has been organized by Animals Fiji, SPCA Fiji, PASH, and Greater Good Foundation Fiji.