28 Northern cats and kittens arrive in Toronto in search of the purr-fect home
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, ON (Sept. 3, 2021) – After travelling close to 1,700 kilometres, a group of 28 cats and kittens from Northern Ontario arrived in Toronto this morning to find new homes.
With cats arriving almost daily at Second Chance Pet Rescue in Dryden, the rescue needed to find homes for the cats in its care. The Ontario SPCA transports about 500 animals each year to find the new homes and stepped up to make the close to 20-hour drive to get the cats to families waiting to adopt. On the trip up, the Society brought over 700 lbs. of cat food to help feed cats in the North.
The Ontario SPCA arrived in Toronto this morning to deliver its feline passengers into the care of Toronto Cat Rescue, which will help them find homes through its adoption program.
“This re-homing initiative is the perfect example of what can be accomplished when animal wellness organizations come together,” says Arista Wogenstahl, Transfer Team Lead, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society. “When a request for assistance comes in, the Ontario SPCA supports in whatever way it can to change the lives of animals in need.”
“Because of our location, we not only receive cats and dogs from Dryden, but all the surrounding communities, and we do not have the population to find them all loving homes,” says Ann Owens, who operates Second Chance Pet Rescue. “Without the help and support of the Ontario SPCA, we would not be able to take into care the number of animals that we do.”
“Toronto Cat Rescue is here to help shelters, humane societies and rescues, particularly with difficult and large requests. We are a virtual and nimble network of foster homes that step up to save cats in need,” says Belinda Vandersluis, Executive Director, Toronto Cat Rescue. “We can expand and create space when space is needed, as is the case with this Northern rescue. The cats will be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and ready for furrever homes before we put them up for adoption. We hope to help up North more in the future.”
A lack of access to basic animal wellness services, such as veterinarians and spay/neuter services, has contributed to an increase in animal populations across Northern Canada. The Ontario SPCA and its partners work alongside communities to deliver much-needed resources, such as food and mobile wellness services, and to manage animal populations through spay/neuter and re-homing initiatives.
For more information visit:
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Media Relations
Ontario SPCA and Humane Society
905-898-7122 x 375
Ann Owens
Second Chance Pet Network
807-937-6943
Belinda Vandersluis
Toronto Cat Rescue
613-532-7819
belindavandersluis@torontocatrescue.ca
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is a registered charity, established in 1873. The Society and its network of communities facilitate and provide for province-wide leadership on matters relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals and the promotion of animal well-being. Offering a variety of mission-based programs, including community-based sheltering, animal wellness services, provincial animal transfers, shelter health & wellness, high-volume spay/neuter services, animal rescue, animal advocacy, Indigenous partnership programs and humane education, the Ontario SPCA is Ontario’s animal charity.
Toronto Cat Rescue
Toronto Cat Rescue is a volunteer-driven, virtual network of over 400 foster homes which saves more than 2,800 cats each year from imminent risk of euthanasia. We partner with municipal animal shelters and other rescues to take cats that have little to no hope of a happy, healthy life. #TorontoCatRescue