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August 2013
Issue 126

While cats spend an average 55 days in BC SPCA care, Chewy has been waiting since January 9, 2013! Will you end Chewy's wait?

Click to read Chewy's adoption profile.

Black kittens and cats face discrimination

For some reason, British Columbians seem to dislike black cats. “They are passed over all the time,” says Kim Monteith, BC SPCA animal welfare manager.

“Maybe it’s superstition, but the harsh reality is that the discrimination means black kittens and cats wait longer – much longer – to find their adoptive homes.” Currently there are more than 1,000 kittens, many of them black, looking for homes in SPCA shelters.

See adoptable kittens and cats online at spca.bc.ca/adopt or visit one of our 36 locations around the province.

Join us for family fun at the Scotiabank & BC SPCA Paws for a Cause

The Scotiabank & BC SPCA Paws for a Cause is a family friendly event!  Kids register for free, so don’t let them miss out on this rewarding and empowering experience.

Funds raised stay in your community and are used to save the lives of homeless, neglected, injured and abused animals. Will you walk with us?

Thank you for your feedback!

Thank you to the 6,000+ individuals who took part in our recent online survey on animal issues in B.C.

The survey, which identified concerns, issues and priorities for animal welfare in our province, will provide valuable feedback in the creation of the BC SPCA’s 2014 - 2018 Strategic Plan.

Please check our website for ongoing updates and highlights of the survey responses including the top ten priorities identified by survey participants.

BC SPCA announces $110,900 grant to reduce homeless cat population in Port Alberni

Cat overpopulation is a serious animal welfare issue across B.C., and Port Alberni is an area of particular concern.

Thanks to a grant from PetSmart Charities® of Canada, all low-income cat guardians living in Port Alberni are now eligible to apply to a spay/neuter fund through their local BC SPCA.

The goal of the new program is to sterilize at least 800 cats during the next two years to reduce the suffering of unwanted and abandoned cats in the region.

Read more…

10 minutes to disaster for pets left in hot cars

With temperatures rising across the province, the BC SPCA is reminding the public to protect their pets against the dangers of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

“Every summer we get hundreds of emergency calls to rescue dogs whose lives are endangered because they are left in hot cars by their guardians,” says Lorie Chortyk, general manager of community relations for the BC SPCA.

“This is a preventable tragedy and we urge all pet guardians to please leave their animals safely at home in hot weather.”

Read more…

Kids, dogs and summer

With kids out of school, the warm weather and longer daylight hours, there are more interactions between children and dogs and, unfortunately, more dog bites. But it is not the stray dog that is of greatest concern.

Most dog bites occur from dogs known to the victim, either the family dog or a neighbour’s and it is often through play that children are bitten.

Set ground rules for children interacting with dogs, including how to meet unfamiliar dogs. See our dog bite safety information.

New partnership with Tisol

The BC SPCA is happy to announce a new partnership with Tisol Pet Nutrition & Supply Stores. Tisol will host a Satellite Adoption Centre at their 3033 Grandview Highway location in Vancouver in addition to being a regional sponsor for the Scotiabank & BC SPCA Paws for a Cause.

We are thrilled Tisol has joined our team of partners and look forward to a great relationship with one of the Lower Mainland’s most well-respected pet supply stores.

Last chance for summer camp

Are your kids already bored this summer? If they love animals enroll them in our Among Animals summer day camps. We still have a few spots left in select locations around B.C., including a few openings in Lower Mainland camps, as well as our farm location in Surrey.

Learn more...

New to SPCA Certified

Lasser Ranches, a large organic cattle ranch in Chetwynd, B.C., has added new practices to improve cattle welfare and demonstrate that large-scale ranches can be welfare-friendly. We welcome Lasser Ranches to the SPCA Certified program! Where to buy…

Looking to build or renovate your barn? We can help! The SPCA Certified program now has barn construction guides for all animal types we certify. Each guide contains all you need to know to build your barn to program standards. Contact us to request your free guide!

Public comment period now open for the Sheep Code of Practice

BC SPCA supporters with an interest in farm animal welfare may be familiar with Canada’s farming Codes of Practice, which serve as reference documents for on-farm animal welfare programs and animal cruelty laws.

The Sheep Code of Practice is now open for public comment and, as with previous codes, the BC SPCA encourages members of the public to provide feedback on the draft code. Share your views and help influence national standards for farm animal welfare. 

Donor of the Month – Annie Wile

We are delighted to honour the efforts of Annie Wile this month. In just 16 days, Annie raised $10,300 in support of her local North Peace Branch in Fort St. John.

Annie and her husband, Stephen, wrote letters to local businesses, cleaned dog’s teeth by donation, and reached out to family and friends for support.

Thanks to Annie and everyone who opened their hearts (and wallets!) for the animals in their community.

Paw Patter

Did you know kittens start to reach sexual maturity as early as four months of age? Most accidental litters occur when guardians wait too long before getting their kittens spayed. Kittens should be spayed or neutered by six months – remember, kittens can have kittens!

Click to find BC SPCA events coming up this month!