As a no cull shelter, space can be limited. If you need to surrender your cat or kitten, please call the shelter at 403-946-0400 to discuss the circumstances surrounding the surrender. If we agree to accept the surrender of your pet, we will explain the procedure to bring your animal to the shelter. Medical records, if available, should be provided. Be prepared to spend 30 – 60 minutes to complete the surrender process.

Please, do not leave your former family member at our door. We do not judge people for having to surrender their cat or kitten. It is better to bring the animal in than leave it outside; weather, humans or other animals will stress the pet, making the experience that much worse. Tails to Tell is a non profit shelter. We rely on donations and fees to pay our bills. If we agree to take your surrendered pet, we will charge a $250 or $500 surrender fee (depending on the health status of the animal) to assist in the veterinary care, animal care, and re-homing of the animal.

If you have lost your pet or, found a pet please call the shelter to see if it was brought in or if we have room to take the animal until the owner can be located. Please have any identifying tattoos or microchips ready so we can record the information.

If you are a Facebook user, find the Tails to Tell page and send us a message.

Other resources:

Please go to the Tails to Tell Facebook page and leave us a message.

Stray companion animals are any animals that are domesticated and used to be somebody’s pet. Whether they were abandoned, or left to roam regardless of by-laws, or are an animal that has escaped and is now lost — they are classified as “stray”.

Feral companion animals, the majority being cats, are animals that have had little to no contact with humans growing up. They are typically the descendants of stray companion animals. Feral animals are wild, and although they can become more tolerant of humans, these animals rarely become tame.

If you have found a feral cat that is injured or sick, please email us – info@tailstotell.ca. If we have space, we will make every effort to accommodate the animal and provide the medical care required. Our shelter has many formerly feral or shy animals that have made huge strides in accepting humans and becoming part of our barn buddy program. Ferals can make wonderful companion animals for a current pet!

If you have found a stray animal, please email us – info@tailstotell.ca. We cannot guarantee that we will take in the animal. As a no-cull shelter, we do not euthanize animals in order to make room for more. This means that we are often full and thus use a capacity for care model to prioritize intakes based on factors such as health and living environment. If we cannot take the animal, we will direct you to other resources and services.

Other Wild Animals

If you have found a wild animal, remember the motto: If you care, leave it there!

The Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation has great information about what to do if you find an orphan baby animal. If you have found an injured animal, or for any questions, please call:

Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation – 403.946.2361

Animals in Alberta are protected by two pieces of legislation: The Animal Protection Act of Alberta (APA) and the Criminal Code of Canada.

The APA outlines that it is an offence for an animal to be in distress. Distress, according to the Act, is defined as:

• being deprived of adequate food, water, care and/or shelter
• being injured, sick, in pain or suffering
• abused or being subjected to undue hardship, privation or neglect

The Criminal Code of Canada states that it is an offence for anybody to:

• wilfully cause or permits to be caused, unnecessary pain, suffering, or injury to an animal
• abandon [an animal] or wilfully neglect or fail to provide suitable and adequate food, water, shelter or care for it

If you witness an act of cruelty or animal neglect, it is your moral, ethical, and legal duty to report it. All calls will remain confidential. Please call the Alberta SPCA at 1-800-455-9003.

It has been shown that people who abuse animals also have the potential to be abuse humans. To learn more about this, please visit the Alberta SPCA’s website “Cruelty Connection“