Every day, animal welfare officers in Lethbridge leave home with the same straightforward intention: to help animals in need and to bring peace of mind to the people who care about them. Yet the work is not always as simple as answering a call and saving an animal. Sometimes, the information that comes in is not entirely true, and that small choice to stretch the truth can ripple outward in ways many people do not anticipate. Lethbridge Community Animal Services is now asking residents to think carefully before they reach out, and to give honest and accurate information when reporting an animal they believe is lost, abandoned, or in distress. The agency warns that false reports can pull officers away from genuine emergencies and delay help for animals who truly need it. Worse, in some cases, misleading the authorities can carry legal consequences. This message is not meant to shame people who are struggling, but to remind everyone that transparency is the foundation of effective animal welfare. When people call in with false accounts, officers may spend valuable time investigating a situation that never happened, chasing down details that do not add up, and turning away from the real calls that continue to pile up. The request is simple: tell the truth, even when the truth is complicated, because the truth is the only way to make sure help reaches the animals and people who need it most.
The reminder comes after a specific incident that unfolded earlier this month in the Garry Station neighbourhood, where two young mixed-breed puppies were reported wandering alone. These two puppies became the focus of a community appeal, and their story offers a clear example of just how complicated an animal welfare report can become. According to Community Animal Services, officers responded to the report, found the puppies, and took them to the Lethbridge Animal Shelter. At the time they were collected, neither puppy had any form of identification. Officers checked the surrounding area and found no owners nearby, and no missing-pet reports had been submitted for the animals. With no immediate leads, the agency took the reasonable step of appealing to the public for information and asking anyone who recognized the puppies to come forward. On October 13, the agency shared an update indicating that enforcement officers had contacted the person who originally submitted the report. After that point, officials were careful not to provide further details. Skyler Plourde, the director of Community Animal Services, explained that the department could not share more because an officer remained in contact with the individuals involved. That silence may be frustrating for those looking for answers, but it speaks to a larger point: every case is handled with care, and facts matter.
This incident did not happen in a vacuum. According to Plourde, it reflects a pattern that animal welfare officers have seen again and again: people attempting to rehome their own pets by reporting them as found strays. It is a situation that likely comes from desperation rather than malice. Perhaps an owner has fallen on hard times and cannot afford food or veterinary care. Perhaps a family member has developed allergies, or a landlord has changed the rules, or a new baby has made an already difficult situation feel impossible. In those moments, people may look for the easiest path forward, and reporting their pet as a stray can seem like a way to get the animal taken into shelter care without having to admit that they cannot manage anymore. But the reality is much more complicated. Every report requires officers to investigate, to determine whether an animal was genuinely loose or abandoned, and to search for an owner who may or may not exist. When the report is misleading, that effort is not simply wasted; it is taken away from other animals that are truly lost or need intervention. Plourde also noted that some people take in animals from tough situations, wanting to help, and then realize they are unable to provide the care required. Instead of explaining their circumstances and asking for help, they may provide a misleading account in the hope that the system will simply take over. The agency wants people to know that they do not need to pretend or invent a story to receive support. Plourde said it plainly: “If people have their own pets that they can’t care for anymore, or have found an animal somewhere that they think needs help, the best thing to do is just tell the truth.” That honesty opens the door to real assistance, rather than creating a situation where animal services has to untangle a web of misinformation before any meaningful help can be provided.
There are also legal realities to consider. This is not simply a matter of wasting time; providing false or misleading information can have consequences under both federal and municipal law. Plourde pointed to the Criminal Code’s public mischief provisions, which can apply when someone knowingly makes a false report, especially when the report is designed to prompt a peace officer to investigate an offence that did not actually occur. The City of Lethbridge’s Animal Care and Control Bylaw can also come into play, particularly when someone obstructs an officer in the performance of their duties. Plourde was careful to explain that not every misleading report is automatically treated as a criminal matter. In many cases, the issue can be addressed with bylaw tickets, which gives the agency a way to handle the situation without turning it into something more serious. But he also made it clear that the circumstances matter, and that if the facts justified it, a case could be pursued as a criminal matter. He said, “We obviously don’t want to turn something into a criminal matter. So we can address it under the bylaw with tickets. But if the circumstances justified, it could be pursued as a criminal matter.” The message is not meant to threaten people into silence, but to encourage them to think before submitting a report. Animal welfare work is built on trust between the community and the agency. When someone distorts the truth, it breaks that trust, and it can have lasting consequences for the person making the report as well as for the animals they claim to care about.
The two puppies themselves remain at the centre of this story, and they are still in the care of Community Animal Services while being assessed for adoption. Plourde said both are in good health and are expected to find new homes. That is hopeful news, but their stay also shines a light on a deeper problem within the shelter system. While the puppies wait, they are occupying two kennels that could otherwise be used for animals with nowhere to go, animals that are missing or lost, or animals that must be seized as part of an investigation. This is not a criticism of the puppies, who are innocent in all of this. But every unnecessary intake reduces the shelter’s capacity to respond to the next emergency. It is a little like filling the last empty bed in an emergency room with someone who does not actually need to be there; it feels harmless at first, but it can become very serious when an ambulance arrives with someone who does. Plourde also explained that prolonged stays in a shelter can affect an animal’s well-being. The environment is not a home, and the longer an animal remains in a kennel, the more stressful it can become. For those reasons, when an owner can no longer care for a pet, direct rehoming or working with a foster-based rescue may be a better and more compassionate option than sending the animal through the shelter system under false pretences. The shelter should be reserved for animals who genuinely have no other safe place to go.
For residents facing difficult decisions about their pets, the message is clear: reach out to Community Animal Services directly and explain the situation honestly. Staff are there to help, and they can outline the options that actually exist, including rehoming assistance, referrals to rescue organizations, and financial support where it is available. It may feel embarrassing to say, “I can no longer care for this animal,” but that admission is far more helpful than a fabricated story. It allows the agency to focus its time and resources on providing the right kind of help, rather than spending time chasing down a false lead. Even when Community Animal Services cannot solve the problem directly, staff can connect residents with outside organizations and resources that are better suited to their needs, all while keeping shelter space open for animals that truly need it. The system works best when everyone involved is honest about what they know, what they need, and what they cannot do alone. The story of these two puppies is a reminder that animal welfare is not just about animals; it is also about the people who love them, sometimes feel overwhelmed by them, and occasionally make poor choices out of fear. But with accurate information, patience, and a willingness to work together, the community can make sure that animals get the help they need, and that the shelter remains a refuge for those with no other options.