Bubbles, left, and Lucky check out visitors at Nanaimo SPCA which currently has more than 65 cats awaiting adoption.
By Toby Gorman
The news Bulletin
Jul 03 2007
When Lorrain Chiorando began as a volunteer at the SPCA 23 years ago, she had the gruesome task of selecting which animals would be put down if the shelter became overcrowded.
Having volunteered because she loves animals, Chiorando decided she couldn’t stomach the task, but instead of walking away she decided to change the policy.
“It was horrible,” said Chiorando, now the Nanaimo SPCA branch manager.
“If we had more black cats, I would have to select some of them to balance everything out. It was very arbitrary. Imagine having to choose something like that.”
Today, the Nanaimo SPCA operates under the maximum adoption policy, meaning that every animal taken to the shelter will be able to stay there indefinitely until it is adopted.
“We don’t euthanize animals if they’ve been here a long time or if we’re overcrowded,” said Chiorando.
“We only consider euthanasia as an absolute last resort, when we’ve exhausted every option and the animal is either too sick, injured or too aggressive to be considered for adoption.”
Last year, more than 260 dogs were brought to the SPCA for various reasons. Ten had to be euthanized, which is performed by a veterinarian at the shelter.
Cats tend to fare better. In her office, Chiorando is surrounded by six full-time feline office residents who either choose to stay at her feet or are too grumpy to co-exist with other cats.
As an alternative to euthanising, Chiorando helped to establish the maximum adoption policy at the Nanaimo SPCA 12 years ago.
To make room for all the cats, a communal cat room was built, featuring more shelves and corners and space for the cats to live in.
“This is just a temporary part of the cat’s life but we try to make it as comfortable as possible for them,” said Chiorando. “In some cases, it is the best living conditions the cat has experienced.”
But with the volume of animals the SPCA receives on an annual basis, outside help is needed, especially for an organization that survives exclusively on donations and fundraising.
While it is said it takes a community to raise a child, the same can be said for animals in transition.
The Nanaimo SPCA utilizes a “foster roster” when dog or cat counts become too high to handle. Volunteers take the animal home and care for it until a permanent home can be found, reducing the demand on the shelter.
Businesses also help out. Petcetera houses some SPCA animals and promotes their adoption, and local vet offices also allow a cat or dog to become part of the office family until it can find a home.
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