SPCA thrilled with offer of space for adoption centre

Denise Sharkey, Courier-Islander
Published: Wednesday, September 13, 2006

The owners of a local shopping centre have come forward with a plan to help the Campbell River SPCA, after reading news of extraordinarily cramped conditions at the local shelter last week.

"We've been offered a store location to put all the kittens that are being kept outside," said SPCA manager Kathleen Embree.

"We just can't believe it. It's so amazing to have this kind of help offered."

The owners of the Merecroft Village Shopping Centre heard about the crowd of cats at the SPCA and offered a store to keep some of the cats in. The SPCA shelter, located off Merecroft Road near the RCMP detachment, can comfortably house about 47 cats and kittens, but currently there are more than 170 cats and kittens in their care - some in satellite adoption centres and kitten foster care - but most in the shelter. That means there are cats and kittens everywhere - in the bathrooms, in the staff room, in an outside shed and in a kind of 'cat condo' of stacked cages outside the shelter. That area was covered with tarps, but Embree said she was worried that colder nights would make it inhumane to keep those cats outside.

Now, those 'outside' cats are moving to a satellite adoption centre in a vacant space in Merecroft Village, which will be run by volunteers. The cats will be able to get some exercise in the mornings and will be in their cages in the afternoons when the public will be allowed in. Embree said the adoption process will still take place at the regular SPCA shelter and there will be no money kept at the satellite centre in Merecroft Village. Embree said about 35 to 40 cats will be able to go to the new satellite adoption centre. She is hoping to have the centre open this week.

As well as the major donation of space in Merecroft Village, the article about the SPCA in last Wednesday's Courier-Islander prompted members of the public to come in with donations of cat and kitten food and kitty litter.

© Courier-Islander (Campbell River) 2006