Media Advisory
BC SPCA Offers Free Clinic to Help Reduce Abandoned Cat Population
Contact: Dr. Jamie Lawson, Chief Animal Health Officer, BC SPCA, 604-323-6632.
What: Free Spay/Neuter & Medical Clinic for abandoned and feral cats.
When: Sunday, February 25th, 2007 from 9 a.m. through the afternoon (depending on number of animals received).
Where: BC SPCA Animal Hospital, 1205 East 7th Avenue, Vancouver (adjacent to the Vancouver SPCA Shelter).
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February 2, 2007. For immediate release. The BC SPCA is offering a free clinic on Sunday, February 25th to provide medical services for abandoned and feral cats in the Lower Mainland. Individuals and groups concerned about the suffering of feral cats will spend the weekend trapping the cats, who will then be brought to the SPCA hospital for medical examinations, spay/neuter operations, vaccinations, identification tattoos and to address any medical issues the animals may have.
All services will be provided free of charge by a team of volunteer veterinarians, technicians and assistants from local practices and the BC SPCA Hospital. The BC SPCA has held similar, very successful, clinics in the past and expects an even larger number of animals this year.
Each year, thousands of cats are abandoned by their owners. Many of these animals live short, brutal lives and die from starvation, disease, injury or attack from predators. Those who survive reproduce rapidly, adding to the population of abandoned animals.
During the clinic, kittens and tamer adult cats with the potential to be re-homed will be identified for adoption and the others will be returned in the custody of their caregivers to managed feral colonies.
Dr. Jamie Lawson, Chief Animal Health Officer for the BC SPCA, says that while the primary goal of the free clinic is to reduce pet overpopulation and provide care for abandoned cats, he hopes the event will raise awareness about the issue of pet abandonment and the need for all pet owners to spay and neuter their pets.