It's raining cats and dogs and Shuswap Paws Rescue Society is looking for help to keep up with the deluge.
While the organization is busy all year and always looking for financial support, but "this time of year we are always struggling" due to a few factors.
"It's kitten season, and I think the other thing that's happening is a lot of people don’t have money, so they’re giving up animals that generally they wouldn’t," Paws volunteer Siobhan Rich said. "And then we’re seeing people that, you know, maybe would have spayed and neutered in the past but again, it’s expensive... so they choose not to, or can’t.”
Despite that, Paws urges pet parents to get their animals fixed, with Rich adding that help is available for those who can't afford to have it done to prevent unwanted litters and have "way less animals that don't have homes."
“We want to really push for people to spay and neuter, and reach out to the SPCA, Okanagan Humane Society, Shuswap Paws if you need help," she said. "That doesn’t mean we can all time, but if we can, or we may know someone that can. We just don’t want animals being abandoned in the communities.”
In addition to fostering five kittens that are bottle babies, Rich is also caring for five puppies that were the result of a surprise litter from an unfixed dog. The owners reached out to Paws for help homing the puppies after fixed and old enough and, to help prevent future unplanned pregnancies, made use of the Mom's Last Litter Program.
Through that, Paws gets the dog or cat spayed, vaccinated and microchipped, and returns it to the owner, but takes the litter to be fostered until they’re ready for their forever homes.
“So you get your dog back, or your cat. It’s not like we’re trying to take animals, we’re not trying to tell anybody what they should be doing," she added. "But this way it stops it in the tracks, no more babies.”
To help support the foster houses, emergency medical situations they often encounter, and vet bills there are a number of places in Salmon Arm that accept bottle donations, as does the depot in Sicamous, and Paws gratefully accepts e-transfers at shuswappaws@gmail.com.
“We are 100 per cent volunteer based. So no one, like our board, none of our fosters, no one is paid for anything. So all donations go to food, veterinarian and those kind of things," Rich said. "Every dollar goes back to the animals.”
