Hay River is overrun with puppies. 

That might sound like a dream scenario to some people, but it's actually a big problem. Dogs are reproducing at such a rate that the local animal shelter can't find homes for all of them, meaning some will turn into strays and continue to breed. 

"One of our biggest struggles is the amount of animals that are being bred in Hay River," said Heather Tybring, one of the operators of the shelter. "We've been asked to help with over 60 puppies in the last year alone. In this month of November, we've been asked to help with 34 puppies.

"I've been involved in the shelter for a long time and I've never seen these kinds of numbers."

The Hay River Animal Shelter can accommodate seven adult dogs at full capacity SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” fewer, if any of them have puppies. While the organization is thankfully able to depend on a roster of dedicated foster households to accommodate a greater number of dogs, it is simply outnumbered at the moment. 

"We've had a couple dogs that have been with us really long term SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” over a year SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” and we're having a hard time finding them a home," Tybring said. "To find 34 homes in Hay River, let alone 60? It's impossible. Those numbers are not possible."

Unfortunately, the shelter is also dealing with a population spike among Hay River's feline residents. Tybring has seen more litters of kittens than what's typical this year. As it is, the facility can only accommodate four adult cats. Even with the help of local foster households, it's more than Tybring and her colleagues can manage. 

The cause of the pet population boom may have something to do with last year's wildfire evacuations, she suspects, when many people were regrettably forced to part with their animals. 

"Evacuations definitely played a big role, where some people had to make that decision and leave animals behind," said Tybring. "A few of the dogs that were brought into the shelter after evacuation weren't fixed and were roaming the community. I definitely think that had an impact on having litters in the community."

She said she and her colleagues are doing their best to deal with the proliferation of young animals in the community, and with the support of the NWT chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), they are keeping things under control.

"We've had a lot of help from the NWT SPCA," she said. "They're located in Yellowknife and they've played a really big role in helping us reduce the amount of animals that we have in our shelter so we can focus on those specific animals that have been there really long term."

However, the problem may continue to worsen unless residents of Hay River take the important step of spaying or neutering their pets. 

Pet owners need to "get their animal to the vet and have them fixed," said Tybring. "That one surgery and two weeks of healing just means your animal is not producing puppies. 

"And if people do have a dog that is isn't fixed, then it's their responsibility to make sure that their pet is not exposed to other unfixed animals."

Residents who want to support the shelter can also do so by volunteering, or by making donations to the Hay River Animal Welfare Society.

"The Hay River Animal Welfare Society, they have a fund specifically for the veterinary costs of the Hay River Animal Shelter, so donating to that really helps us," Tybring said. "Any animal [we get], we spay or neuter right away, so that's one of our biggest costs, is veterinary care. Donating goes a long way."