An animal shelter in the Niagara region is asking for the public’s help after taking in 76 abandoned cats in just four days.
Online, Niagara SPCA and Humane Society Animal Care Manager Tammy Gaboury released a plea for help, saying that the shelter has found itself fostering dozens of cats and kittens who were abandoned in the community over a short span of time.
According to Gaboury, the shelter first found ten cats left inside a box at a public park in the region. Shortly after that, nine more cats were taken to the shelter after being evicted from their home.
“Other cats came to us with no home, some expecting litters, and others already caring for tiny kittens – each with their own story, all deserving a second chance,” the shelter wrote in a statement.
But the number of shelter residents went up even more after they rescued a third batch of cats, when a dog cage with 14 female cats was found abandoned in a different park, with a note saying, “Please find these cats a home. I am unable to care for them! I’m sorry.”
With the three close finds, Niagara SPCA says it has now reached its capacity with a total of 221 cats living in the space.
“We’ve planned for busy seasons. We couldn’t have planned for this,” Gaboury said in the statement.
Now, the shelter is asking the community to help find these rescued animals a place, and to support the SPCA with the costs of caring for them.
Gaboury explains that each cat receives a series of treatments, including a full physical exam, necessary vaccinations, parasite control and more. All of them are also spayed or neutered to control any possible overpopulation outbreaks and increase their chances of adoption.
With the increased costs of taking care of so many animals, the shelter is asking people not only to consider adopting them, but also to make donations to support their care. The SPCA is also looking for people willing to temporarily open their homes to foster the felines until they find their forever home.
“No cat should be left in a park, in a box, or behind a locked door. Please consider giving now to be part of their rescue story,” the shelter said in an Instagram post.
Those who wish to make a donation or be considered for adoption should visit the shelter’s website.
