A growing number of pet owners in Alberta are falsely reporting their pets as strays as part of a growing trend of surrender and abandonments to shelters. This trend is believed to be the latest fallout from the pandemic “puppy boom.” Sergeant Brianne Grey, who works at Edmonton’s Animal Care and Control, said she has been issuing tickets to people who are surrendering their pets and saying they are strays, as there is an Edmonton bylaw that makes it illegal to provide false or misleading information to an officer.