Society takes up lost causes

by Nelson Bennett
Richmond News

Boo is a mess.

Apart from the fact he has feline AIDS, he looks a bit like a Frankenstein cat, with one wonky eye, burns on his feet and scars everywhere from being stitched back together. "He had been living in a chemical plant and he had burns," says Carol Reichert, manager of the Richmond Animal Protection Society. "His feet were all burned. He had such bad ear mites he almost scratched his ears off."

After he was rescued and stitched up, Boo, like all cats taken in by RAPS, was given a blood test, which indicated he has Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) - the feline equivalent of AIDS. As a candidate for adoption, Boo is a lost cause. At any other animal shelter, he would likely be put down. But at RAPS' sanctuary in East Richmond, he can live out the remainder of his years, along with roughly 700 other cats - most of which are also lost causes.

"We won't euthanize any animal unless they're terminally ill," Reichert said. "We do not plan on putting down an older dog because of his age." That policy will remain in force when RAPS officially takes over operation of the Richmond animal shelter from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at the beginning of February.

RAPS won the contract to provide animal control and run the city's animal shelter after it under-bid the SPCA. The move means there will no longer be two animal welfare organizations competing with each other. RAPS will assume operation of the city pound at 12071 No. 5 Rd. It will also provide animal control officers, who will be responsible for everything from seizing dangerous dogs to ticketing people for letting their dogs run off-leash in areas other than off-leash parks. RAPS will hire six new employees to become animal control officers and kennel operators.

As for RAPS' sanctuary in East Richmond, little will change there. RAPS plans to continue to operate the six-acre sanctuary, which is like a condo complex for roughly 700 cats. Although cats out-number any other animal at the sanctuary, RAPS also rescues unwanted dogs and rabbits that would otherwise be euthanized. Most are farmed out to foster homes. From now on, however, dogs that can be adopted out will be housed at the No. 5 Road shelter.

Once RAPS has assumed control of that facility, some of the RAPS cats that are adoptable will be moved there. Cats surrendered at the No. 5 Road shelter that cannot be adopted out due to disease or anti-social behaviour will be moved to the RAPS sanctuary in East Richmond.

Like the SPCA, RAPS requires any animal that is adopted out to be spayed or neutered. Currently, the SPCA charges $110 to adopt out a cat and $250 for a dog. "I imagine we're going to stick with much the same prices," Reichert said. "It won't be any more than they are charging."

After Feb. 2, residents wanting to adopt a pet can call 604-275-2036.

Shelter manager, Carol Reichert, and volunteers cuddle up to rescued dogs Jake and Jessie.