St. John's SPCA Works to Change Feelings for Felines
Shelter Working to Create Low Cost Spay Neuter Program
September 24, 2008, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador – Every year, more than 150,000 cats end up in shelters across Canada because there are not enough loving homes for them.* The St. John’s SPCA takes in more than 1500 of these Canadian shelter kittens and cats every year. While the SPCA is making great strides in helping shelter cats, the need is still great and they are calling on the community for help. As of September 1, 2008, the St. John’s SPCA has already taken in over 900 cats and kittens.
“Many people have the attitude that cats are disposable,” says Debbie Powers, Shelter Director, St. John’s SPCA. “We are working hard to change this mindset so that our local cats in need have a chance at a good home. Shelter cats are wonderful pets that can bring love and affection to any household.”
In addition to encouraging adoptions, the St. John’s SPCA also focuses on preventing unwanted litters of kittens. Adopters are encouraged to spay and/or neuter, obtain proper identification and municipally register their new cat or kitten. The shelter is looking at starting more preventative initiatives including a low cost spay and neuter program. By focusing on adoption as well as promoting responsible pet ownership, the shelter is able to reduce the number of cats in need in both the short and long term.
“The number of cats coming into the shelters is becoming a very big problem but there are ways Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can help. Adopting, volunteering, making financial contributions, and most importantly, changing attitudes that cats are disposable,” says Powers.
The St. John’s SPCA will further its education efforts this fall as a Partner Shelter in the 2008 Whiskas® Cat Adoption Program. The Whiskas® Cat Adoption program is a fundraising and awareness initiative that aims to help find shelter cats across Canada the loving and caring homes they deserve. From September to November the makers of Whiskas® will partner with 15 shelters across Canada and will provide each shelter with a donation of $5,000, cat adoption starter kits, a digital camera and online exposure for the shelter. The adoption starter kits will be given to Canadians who adopt a cat during the program, while supplies last, which include Whiskas® wet and dry food, treats, coupons and a Cat Adoption Guide, which will help adopters ease their new cat into the home as smoothly as possible. To learn more about the Whiskas® Cat Adoption Program, partner shelters, adoption tips visit www.whiskas.ca, and to see cats available for adoption through the partner shelters, visit the Whiskas® Cat Adoption Group on Flickr.
“We joined the Whiskas® Cat Adoption Program to increase the number of cat adoptions in our community so that more cats go to loving, responsible homes,” says Powers.
About the St. John’s SPCA
The mission of the St. John's SPCA is to relieve the suffering of animals by educating people on treating animals with the love and respect they deserve. The St. John's SPCA houses cats and dogs who are lost, stray, abused or abandoned. The shelter has four cat units that comfortably hold approximately 25 cats at one time. However, due to the heavy influx of cats, the SPCA had to convert a room that used to house dogs into an additional cat room. The shelter also tries to place as many animals as possible in loving homes without actually having them come through the shelter doors, as adult animals brought in from a home can get very upset and frightened in a shelter environment. The SPCA provides a clean, safe environment for all animals at the shelter. To view animals available for adoption go to www.spcastjohns.org.
About the Whiskas® brand
Whiskas® Food for Cats is an innovative, industry leader at the forefront of cat nutrition. The makers of Whiskas® understand the needs of cats and, cat owners and offer a full menu of cat dry and wet foods, treats and cat milk that satisfy taste preferences and dietary needs. Whiskas® products are available at grocery, pet specialty and mass merchandise outlets nationwide. For more information, visit www.whiskas.ca.
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For more information please contact:
Laura Cropper, GCI Group, 416-486-7223, lcropper@gcigroup.com
Kristen Shamess, GCI Group, 416-486-5905, kshamess@gcigroup.com
WHISKAS and the WHISKAS cat mask design are Registered Trademarks of Mars Canada Inc. © Mars Canada Inc., 2008. All rights reserved.
*Source- Canadian Federation of Humane Societies
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