Cat advocate wants region to do more than education on problems
Christiana Wiens
Comox Valley Echo
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
The president of a cat rescue and advocacy society is calling on district politicians to take cats seriously and put out more than a brochure in their efforts to tackle the problem.
"Educational material should be a component of any animal control plan; but it's absurd to consider one brochure the entire plan," writes Carole Shannon, of the Vancouver Island Cat Advocates Society in a press release issued Monday.
The Regional District of Comox Strathcona has asked municipalities to consider entering into a regional animal control function that could see the municipalities and outlying areas share a common set of animal control rules, enforcement officers, dog licences and SPCA services.
Though that plan would include educational material on cat issues, no funds are dedicated to cat management or spaying and neutering.
"I do not believe we have the mandate to award grant money for animal control," said district administrator Bob Long.
He added that he thinks the Cat Advocates Society does a commendable job.
"I encourage anyone to make the appropriate donation but I don't think it is an appropriate use of property taxes," he said.
Shannon started her campaign for feral cats here last year when store owners on Courtenay's Fifth street started having problems with a wild cat colony living underneath and between those buildings.
The society captures wild cats, treats them for medical conditions, spays and neuters them and releases them back to safe locations.
It also tries to find homes for kittens born in the wild and help low income Valley residents spay and neuter their cats to avoid future stray litters.
Shannon had previously asked the City of Courtenay for financial help - but that program was referred to the Regional District of Comox Strathcona's Comox Valley Committee for a Valley-wide solution.
Her proposal for a subsidized low cost spay/neuter program, a spay/neuter bylaw, a law to cover identification and roaming and public education was presented to the district in February.
Since then, the society has been regularly contacted by people who can't afford the money to spay and neuter their cats.
"These cat owners don't need spay/neuter education - they need access to subsidized low cost spay neuter programs," said Shannon.