Beware of wet dog, Kaiser’s in the kiddy pool again.

Between playful bouts of splashing and thrashing in the shallow water, Kaiser, a 40-kilogram bullmastiff cross puppy, looks around dazed, unsure of his surroundings in the Capital Regional District Pound.

But a chew toy is enough to make him play again. Kaiser is one of four dogs currently available for adoption at the CRD Pound, housed a block up from Elk Lake off the Pat Bay Highway.

“This time of year we’re usually scrambling for more dog runs,” said kennel master Mike Tovey.

In 10 years with the shelter Tovey’s seen a lot of cats and dogs come through, and he’s without explanation as to the drop in strays picked up this summer. The CRD Pound only takes animals that don’t have an identifiable owner.

“Over 50 per cent of the animals that come here are owned by people on vacation. Sadly few of the animals have any form of identification,” he said, adding it’s tough to know when to put a dog or cat up for adoption when staff are unsure whether a pet’s owners know their animal’s whereabouts. It’s a much different scenario than the owner-surrendered animals living at the SPCA’s centre in Victoria.

The SPCA’s number of cats and dogs is on par with years past, except for one significant change.

“We’re seeing higher numbers of elderly and sick animals come in because people just can’t afford (the increased costs of caring for these animals) right now,” said manager Penny Stone.

Love for puppies and kittens goes on, but you’re out of luck as an old cat or dog.

The SPCA has 40 kittens in care. They’ll stay until they reach eight-weeks in age, when they’ll be spayed or neutered and adopted within a week.

“During kitten season, the adult cats tend to stay here for a long, long time. Only one or two are adopted each week.”

As for the mighty Kaiser, he was brought to the CRD shelter as a stray a week earlier and will need some diligent training. He’s handsome, but watch out for leaping kisses – he loves people (and dogs).

sports@vicnews.com