The Kings SPCA

From this morning's Herald
Cat rescue spurs shelter completion
'We went from zero to 36 cats in less than an hour'By PAT LEE Staff Reporter Fri. Aug 7 - 4:46 AM
WATERVILLE – Construction of the new Kings County SPCA shelter began three years ago and then sat empty as volunteers toiled to equip the facility.
But all that changed after dozens of cats were seized in Port Felix, Guysborough County, and Grand Pre, Kings County, in June.
Kings County SPCA president Belle Darris said the provincial SPCA told officials at her facility there was an urgent need to find shelter for some of the cats and it was time for them to be up and running.
"So we said OK, we may as well bite the bullet," Ms. Darris said Thursday. "We went from zero to 36 cats in less than an hour."
They remained closed to the public for most of that time as they nursed cats back to health, trained volunteers and generally got the shelter in shape.
"Hindsight being 20-20, it was probably the kick we needed," she said. "If you wait until you’re ready, you’re never ready."
Ms. Darris said the Kings County shelter opened the doors to the public Tuesday and almost immediately five cats were adopted.
"That was amazing, although we know it won’t be an everyday thing," she said.
Since the cat seizures in June — 16 in Grand Pre and 60 from a home in Port Felix, along with 24 dogs — Ms. Darris said workers at the shelter had to take things slowly as the Port Felix cats were mostly ill and needed to be quarantined.
"It was a giant isolation ward for a while, but they are well now and ready to be adopted," she said.
Port Felix cats will be adopted for a reduced rate of $75, instead of the normal $120, which covers spaying and neutering, microchipping, deworming and all shots.
Before the shelter was open to the public, cats that were well enough were sent to foster homes and brought back to the shelter on certain days to meet potential adopters.
For now, the shelter is operating on limited hours and is open to the public from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.
The president, who breeds papillons, said the shelter has room for 36 cats and 10 dogs, although for now, they’re limiting it to four dogs, with the first bunch sent to them from the SPCA’s full metro shelter in Dartmouth.
"We placed one dog within 24 hours and she had been in their shelter for two months," Ms. Darris said.
A shelter manager has been hired, but the rest of the work is done by volunteers, which the president said is the shelter’s greatest need at this time.
She said another major project is to get a trap, neuter and return program going in Kings County to control an out-of-control cat population.
Last week, the metro shelter announced it was filled to the brim with cats and was lowering its adoption fees for adult cats in order to find homes for the abused or stray animals.
For more information, see www.kingspca.com.
( plee@herald.ca)
Its important to remember that this is still a journey and not a destination. If anyone is looking to lend their (badly needed ) skills or support they can contact the shelter.