Calgary charity’s efforts to help homeless pet owners hit by funding loss

As Calgary faced its first blast of winter this week, the city’s homeless population is grappling with freezing conditions — and dwindling resources.

For Oleta Downey, who has been living on Calgary’s streets for over a year, the cold isn’t just dangerous. It’s life-threatening.

Downey refuses to part with her dog and loyal companion Mayhem. But most shelters in Calgary don’t allow pets, leaving her with no safe place to stay. On Monday, the two were discovered huddled under a tarp at a loading dock, trying to stay warm.

“I’d rather freeze than leave him behind,” Downey said. “He’s the reason I get up every day.”

Melissa David, founder of the charity Parachutes for Pets, received the desperate call for help and quickly stepped in. She placed Downey and Mayhem in a hotel for a few nights — a temporary solution.

“She was sleeping under a sheet with her dog in the freezing cold,” David said. “It was heartbreaking.”

David says this situation is all too common. She says many people experiencing homelessness refuse to abandon their pets, making it harder to access shelter.

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But Parachutes for Pets is facing its own crisis. The organization lost critical funding this fall, including support from the City of Calgary and the Calgary Homeless Foundation, leaving them entirely reliant on donations.

“This year has been our hardest yet,” David said. “We applied for funding, but we were told we didn’t align with the objectives.

“That loss was between $150,000 and $200,000.”

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The City of Calgary told Global News it received 83 applications for more than $39 million in funding but could only approve 31. This means 52 applications had to be denied. The Calgary Homeless Foundation issued a similar statement, citing unprecedented demand for its one-time annual Innovation, Capacity building, & Enhancement (ICE) grant.

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David says the funding loss comes at the worst possible time, with winter just beginning and more people turning to her charity for help.

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“Our unhoused rate is skyrocketing, and with it comes more people with pets on the street,” she said.

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“It’s going to be bad.”