Increased Adoptions Alleviate CrisisBut More Homes Are Still Needed
July 23, 2009 ~ Last week the Hamilton Burlington SPCA (HBSPCA) launched a public campaign to bring attention to the severe cat overpopulation crisis in our communities. “Since that time there has been a marked increase in the number of cat adoptions from our shelter” said Jim Sykes, CEO.
In the past week cat adoptions at the HBSPCA increased to 42, compared to 24 in the same period last year. There are, however, still dozens of healthy cats ready for adoption and the crisis continues. “The good news is that by having 42 cats adopted out, when typically we would only see 3 or 4 cats re-homed in a weekend, we have been able to save nearly twenty more lives by creating room for our adoptions team to rescue that many more cats,” added Sykes.
The Hamilton Burlington SPCA is a zero euthanasia shelter meaning that animals in its care are never euthanized due to a lack of space. Unfortunately with the sheer number of cats in the community that are not spayed or neutered, coping with the cat overpopulation crisis is an on-going challenge.
While some cats in animal shelters have been surrendered by their owners, many are strays that have no form of traceable identification, making it extremely difficult to contact their rightful owners. In addition to registering a lost pet on PetLynx , individuals who have lost a pet are urged to visit their local SPCA and/or animal control agency in person and view the cats currently in their care.
