Cat lady's supporters foil SPCA inspection

By David Carrigg-Staff writer

The animals, most of which have been rescued from crack houses, laneways and abandoned suites, are found throughout the home.

Some are in the bathroom, others in Parent's bedroom and several are on a sheet-covered lounge, basking in the afternoon sun. The apartment does not smell and the cats appear to get along.

Parent is one of an estimated dozen women in Vancouver who rescue abandoned cats, which they believe will be euthanized if picked up by the B.C.SPCA. She is proud of her work.

"People in the neighbourhood know me. I get called if someone finds a cat and two of the nearby pet stores have my number for people interested in adopting a cat," she said. "I also arrange for the cats to be spayed or neutered."

Most recently, neighbours of an abandoned crack house advised her there were 23 cats inside. Of those, Parent found a home for 17, three are in her East Pender Street apartment and the other three are still in the abandoned home. Parent visits the home to feed them.

Parent is also part of a loose affiliation of Lower Mainland cat rescuers called the Animal Rights Coalition, whose members gathered outside her apartment last Thursday afternoon to protest a visit from a B.C.SPCA cruelty investigator.

The group included ARC organizer Donna Libersen and former City of Vancouver pound manager Barb Fellnermayr, both of whom claim the B.C. SPCA unfairly targets cat rescuers because they are seen as competition for the B.C. SPCA.

Fellnermayr said the practice of visiting cat shelters based on anonymous tips has been going on for several years, and that the subsequent raids after the fist visit are used by the society to generate donations, after which the cats are euthanized.

"I've been upstairs and looked at Beverley's cats and they are fine. The place is clean and I'm sure it was triggered by a bogus complaint. It's an abuse of power," Fellnermayr said.

On Thursday, the society's special provincial constable did not enter the apartment building after being confronted by the group.

Eileen Drever, senior administrative officer of the B.C.SPCA's cruelty investigations division, said the officer was sent to Parent's home after the society received an anonymous tip that there were cats in distress at the apartment.

Drever said the landlord has no problem with the cats and advised her the call may have been made by a disgruntled former tenant, who did not get along with Parent.

"We contacted [Parent] and she said we could visit any time, so we followed up on that," said Drever. "We respond to complaints, but in this case we are not overly concerned. Perhaps we can work with her."

However, Drever was unimpressed by the protest, and denied the society is out to get small rescue groups or that most of the cats seized are euthanized.

"It's absolute nonsense. This isn't the first time we've encountered this group but we are far too busy to get into it," Drever said.

Lorie Chortyk, B.C.SPCA spokeswoman, said the society works with some cat rescue groups, including Richmond Homeless Cats.

Chortyk said stray cats are a huge problem and the cat rescue groups do good work.

However, she said that some rescuers take in too many cats, creating the risk of disease being spread among the cats.

Of the cats at Parent's apartment only three are considered pets, all of whom she has nurtured since they were several days old.

All the other cats will be placed in homes, athough Parent has some concerns about Gwideon.

"I'm not sure what I'll do with him. He's special needs and has grown quite attached to me. So we'll have to see," she said.