Last week, a volunteer with Animal Advocates Society was asked to rescue a dirty, unneutered cat with a case of badly infected ears from ear mites. The cat had no owner and lived on rural property in Abbotsford and, although slightly feral, had shown a willingness to interact with humans. The AAS volunteer immediately took him to a veterinary clinic, Pets In Need Society paid for his neutering and shots, AAS paid for his ear medications, Pacific Animal Foundation paid his veterinarian boarding costs for one week and Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association found a new home for him. Yesterday the AAS volunteer drove “Scout” to his new home in Southlands where he will have another cat for company, freedom of a farm life and be allowed to come inside the house whenever he wants.

The fact that many groups work together like a “well-oiled machine” isn’t a surprise to most of us in the volunteer cat rescue community in the Lower Mainland. But, by sharing this particular rescue effort with the public, it highlights what can be done, through co-operation, when a determined effort is made to improve the life of an animal. Many volunteer groups participate every day in similar rescue efforts and the common philosophy that binds us is “work for the benefit of the animal”. By incredible networking through the internet and phone calls, various groups routinely co-ordinate and co-operate to facilitate some challenging rescues. The resulting goodwill and respect, through this kind of teamwork, has meant that many animals are benefiting. A little semi-feral cat named Scout can attest to that.

Lana Simon, Director
Pacific Animal Foundation