Rehab and Adopt or Release Program
The major thrust of our organization is to rehabilitate and adopt out abandoned cats after providing them with medical care and having them altered. We receive referrals from community members who have found kittens, or have free-roaming or “dumped” pregnant cats show up at their homes. In many cases, there are kittens that would otherwise be on the streets, and it is our goal to help these orphaned or feral cats.
We have calls from Vernon to Osoyoos and to Princeton requesting our aid. Whenever we can, we assist with vet care and services to ensure healthy and positive outcomes for the cats. Volunteer foster homes raise the kittens to socialize them, take them to vet appointments and help to market the cats for adoption. We have groups of volunteers who clean and cuddle and look after the cats in 4 adoption centres in Penticton and Kelowna. We also make appearances at the local malls and events to teach the public about the importance of spaying and neutering, in the hope that education will help to reduce the number of unwanted cats… We also have a large team of volunteers who help with fundraising and procuring items for the cats like toys and food.
The veterinarians in our area also support us and give us referrals when appropriate, and we work with them closely to ensure the health of the cats in our care. Each brings something different to the work, some with discounts, others will take on special cases, others help with the low-income spay-neuter clinics, others with potential adopters.
In the past three years, we have impacted a total of 502 animals, and had the good fortune to work with amazing veterinarians, community members, local businesses and the media and other rescue groups to be effective in our work. The beneficiaries of our services are very grateful, and we have become a hub for requests and help to educate those who are working towards the same goals.
There are a large number of feral colonies and “managed” colonies in our communities – basically free-roaming cats that are pro-creating at an astounding rate. Many of the colonies are fed and generally “safe” as there are humans looking out for them, although they are not friendly and not adoptable. These cats can be trapped, altered and put back into the area they have come from. The reduction in the number of animals pro-creating will eventually cause the colony numbers to be reduced. We receive calls and referrals from the community and other organizations such as the SPCA. Volunteers trap the cats humanely, deliver them to vets, we house them after surgery, then re-release. In some cases, the animals need to be moved to other areas or to barn situations if they are not social and unable to be safe where they came from.
