Ragdoll cats, kittens surrendered to B.C. SPCA by ‘irresponsible' breeder
This photo provided by the B.C. SPCA shows two Ragdoll kittens surrendered to the charity.
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The Province
07-05-2025
- The Province
B.C. SPCA takes in 83 Persian-mix cats after owner dies
63 of the cats were taken to the Surrey animal centre and 20 went to Kamloops for care, grooming and medical treatments The B.C. SPCA has taken in 83 Persian cats and kittens after their owner died. Many have severe matting, are in need of spay or neuter surgery, and are all being treated for roundworm and giardia. 63 of the cats are in the Surrey animal centre and 20 went to Kamloops. Photo by B.C. SPCA Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Over 80 Persian-mix cats are in the care of B.C. SPCA animal centres in Surrey and Kamloops after the family of their late owner reached out for help. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The SPCA first became involved in January when the cats' owner surrendered a dozen cats. Next of kin then contacted the animal welfare agency in early May about the remaining 83 felines after the owner died. Sixty-three of the cats were taken to the B.C. SPCA Surrey animal centre through the Drive for Lives program, while the other 20 were taken to Kamloops. The Surrey centre and its Good Shepherd Barn are acting as a triage facility, as they do for other large cat intakes from around B.C. Some of the extremely matted cats got an emergency shave. Photo by B.C. SPCA 'Intaking and providing care for 83 cats requires a significant investment of resources,' said Layla Gilhooly, manager of the centre and barn. 'Especially given their condition, with at least half of them still needing a spay or neuter surgery, various medical treatments, and most requiring significant grooming.' The cats were scared at first, hiding under towels and in their kennels, but that's common, said Gilhooly. 'Despite their nervousness, many of the cats were quite friendly during intake — purring, making air biscuits and leaning in for pets.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But a lot of them were in dire need of care. Many were extremely matted, which requires shaves for relief. 'Severe matting is very uncomfortable, often even painful, and can cause skin irritation as the mats trap bacteria and dead skin cells,' Gilhooly said. 'Some of the cats also had feces matted into their fur.' Most of the kittens and cats taken in needed some kind of care, such as this one with eye discharge. Photo by B.C. SPCA All the cats are being treated for giardia and roundworm, which involves a five-day course of medication followed by a bath to remove any eggs still in the fur. The lingering eggs can cause reinfection when a cat grooms itself. 'Some of the cats also have varying degrees of upper respiratory infection,' said Gilhooly, ranging from severe congestion to mild cases of eye and nasal discharge. Those with problems are on antibiotics and will go to a vet if symptoms don't improve. Gilhooly said most are underweight and a few need dental care for things like broken canine teeth and gingivitis. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. After triage, 27 of the Surrey cats were moved to other centres to await adoption, while 36 remain there. When they're available for adoption depends on how they're doing. Some need further socialization before they're ready, while others will be available as early as Wednesday, or will be added to the B.C. SPCA adoption page in the coming days and weeks. Anyone who can help the SPCA with care for these cats and other animals and pets is asked to visit One of the cats in a temporary kennel. Photo by B.C. SPCA The Drive for Lives program of the B.C. SPCA provides transport for pets to areas where they are most likely to be adopted. Photo by B.C. SPCA One of the kittens surrendered to the B.C. SPCA centres in Surrey and Kamloops. Photo by B.C. SPCA jruttle@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Health Vancouver Canucks Crime Junior Hockey
CTV News
24-04-2025
- CTV News
Ragdoll cats, kittens surrendered to B.C. SPCA by ‘irresponsible' breeder
This photo provided by the B.C. SPCA shows two Ragdoll kittens surrendered to the charity.
CBC
25-10-2024
- CBC
B.C. SPCA loses its contract and building in Prince George, hampering rescue efforts in northern B.C.
Social Sharing A major blow has been dealt to the SPCA's operations in northern B.C. On Friday, it was announced the City of Prince George will be transferring its contract for animal shelter operations from the B.C. SPCA to the Prince George Humane Society starting Jan. 1, 2025. The contract is worth $1.2 million annually, up from the $1.1 million paid to the B.C. SPCA since 2019. The decision means not only will the B.C. SPCA lose a significant chunk of revenue but it will be losing access to the building it operates out of, which is owned by the city. The B.C. SPCA operates the North Cariboo Community Animal Care Centre at Landsdowne Road and is responsible for taking in approximately 1,500 animals annually. According to the SPCA, it is one of its busiest facilities in B.C. and key to its provincial operations, acting as a triage centre when animals are surrendered or seized in other northern communities — such as recent cases where more than 200 cats were surrendered in Houston, B.C. or when 43 German shepherds were rescued from a property southeast of the city. It also serves as an emergency response centre, boarding animals and pets who were evacuated along with their families during wildfires in northern B.C. While the Prince George Humane Society will take over the city contract, it does not have the same ties to animal shelters in the rest of the province. Jamey Blair, the SPCA's senior manager for the Interior and the north says the organization will do whatever is needed in order to support the transition to the Humane Society in order to "minimize any gaps in services offered to the animals of Prince George. Angela McLaren of the Prince George Humane Society said she expected there would be "some hiccups" but said she would be happy to continue working with the SPCA. "Honestly, there's not enough rescues in Prince George," she said. "We've all been working together, and I don't see that changing at all." SPCA committed to staying in the north The SPCA will continue to operate a spay-neuter clinic in the city and is actively looking for a new building, Blair said. "We're very committed to maintaining a physical presence," she said, adding, "It will be a costly endeavour." The B.C. SPCA has been planning to construct a custom-built facility in Prince George since 2016, and last year received a $3 million commitment from the province to do so, on top of the previous $1.5 million. A targeted construction date was 2030, Blair said, but that plan may now have to be put on hold in favour of finding a new location to lease or purchase instead of having one custom-built. According to Charlotte Peters, Prince George's manager of bylaw services, this marks the first time a contract for animal sheltering has been awarded to anyone other than the SPCA, which has been in the community for decades. Peters said because the contract was worth more than $1 million, the city was required by law to issue a request for proposals and, following the process laid out by law, and the Humane Society was the successful bidder. She said from the city's perspective, it should be a seamless transition. "The hope is the SPCA moves out one day and the Humane Society moves in," she said. Peters said the city would continue to work with the SPCA on the work it does outside of animal sheltering, including investigations into animal cruelty and animal protection. McLaren said with the additional resources, she hopes to expand the Humane Society's new training program that teaches pet owners how to manage behavioural issues in their animals that might lead to them being surrendered, as well as offering financial support for vet care for people with low incomes.
