This Animal Shelter Has No... Animals — They’re Being Adopted Too Fast

January 26, 2026

The Bide Awhile Animal Shelter in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, has seen an overwhelming surge in adoptions, with dogs, cats, and kittens all finding homes faster than ever.

In fact, pets are being adopted almost as soon as they’re made available.

Bide Awhile Animal Shelter / CTV News

According to executive director Liesje Somers-Blonde, the shelter posts adoptable animals at 9:30 each morning. By 10 a.m., there’s often a lineup outside, and by noon, every pet is spoken for.

“It’s wild to say it, but today we actually have no animals available for adoption,” said Sam Cole, the shelter’s communications and marketing coordinator. While some pets are simply waiting on final veterinary health certificates, none are currently unclaimed.

Cole says adoptions began picking up in the spring and haven’t slowed down since. The longest stay for any animal has been just 21 days, and most are adopted the same day they’re posted. Even adult cats — which typically take longer to place — are finding homes immediately.

“Last year around this time, adult cats and senior cats or cats with medical complications were staying in the shelter a little bit longer than your average kitten that is quickly scooped up by a fun-loving family. But this year we are not even seeing that. Our adults, our seniors and our medical complications are getting adopted the same day they are posted. It has been nonstop since the doors opened this January,” says Cole.

Shelter staff believe the increase is partly due to people recognizing the companionship and mental health benefits that pets can provide. And to help encourage adoptions of older animals, Bide Awhile offers foster incentives, covering medical visits and medications for senior cats and dogs.

For now, though, the empty kennels and cages are a joyful sign — proof that a whole lot of animals have found loving homes.