Animal shelter going broke

A Winnipeg no-kill animal shelter is going broke and the owner says the city is partially to blame.

Pet adoptions at D'Arcy's Arc are down 40 per cent from the previous year, leavingowner D'arcy Johnston struggling to pay the bills.He hasn't been able to coverhis hydro bill in two months and just got a disconnect notice and he also owesvet bills amounting to about $10,000.

"Whether [hydro] will shut us down the middle of January, I haven't talked to them yet.I'm trying to find the $2,200 to pay them," he said.

Johnstonbelieves adoptions have dropped becausemore people are going online to find their pets. As well,the city isn't doing enough to enforce itsspay and neuter bylaws for cats, he said.

Doing so would help reduce an exploding cat population and ease the pressure on shelters like his.

"I'm at the point where we're going to tell everybody to drop their animals off at 510 Main Street City Hall," Johnstonsaid.

Johnston will decide in the next few weeks if he has to start turning away any new animals.