Bark, the feral angels sing: Animal Services holds Christmas Day open house

There's no such thing as a silent night at Winnipeg Animal Services, where 29 dogs spent Christmas morning in their pens, awaiting adoption.

About 200 well-wishers came to cheer up the pups over the lunch hour as part of the Animal Services' open house on Christmas Day.

"The dogs here are just so excited and friendly and so many of them are just so full of love," said Alex Boulley.

Boulley already has a dog named Eva but came to the open house to spend time with canines who don't have human companions.

Over the past year, Winnipeg Animal Services has been has been housing upto 40 dogs per night, which is a significant increase from an average of about 20 prior to and during the pandemic, said Leland Gordon, general manager for city-owned special operating agency.

"We're seeing after the pandemic higher numbers than normal and it's very sad. Too many people are still going out and getting dogs when they're struggling financially," Gordon said.

"Maybe they don't have a stable home and then they're getting a dog and the cost for caring for a dog is incredibly expensive, from food to veterinary care to training. So we really ask people to think long and hard."

The 2023 open house at Animal Services was a placid affair compared to the event in 2018, when about 700 people responded to the agency's invitation.

"It went viral," said Gordon, adding he was happy to see a more manageable crowd this year.