C.A.R.E.S. Langley cat shelter is offering residents of Surrey free spays and neuters for their household cats, thanks to a $20,000 grant from PetSmart Charities of Canada.
It’s hoped this will combat the “cat overpopulation crisis” in Surrey and beyond.
“The City of Surrey alone is estimated to have over 20,000 stray, community and feral cats,” the organization noted in a release. “This estimate triples as the area expands to include the entire Fraser Valley.”
C.A.R.E.S., which stands for Canadian Animal Rescue and Extended Shelter, reports the funding will provide approximately 240 low-cost surgeries for cats in Surrey, and elsewhere in the Fraser Valley.
“We are so pleased to have received this grant," says C.A.R.E.S. president, Marian Haney. "PetSmart Charities of Canada has always been a strong partner to us over the years. With their support, we’ll be able to spay or neuter more companion cats at a very small cost to pet parents. In turn, this will help to reduce unplanned litters and better control the stray and feral cat population in the Langley area.”
The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) says Canada is currently in a cat overpopulation crisis and says the problem is mainly due to “irresponsible pet owners letting their cats roam free without identification and/or without being spayed or neutered.”
“Un-spayed and un-neutered cats that roam contribute to the overpopulation problem by giving birth to unwanted litters of kittens year after year,” notes a CFHS report. “Owners of male cats allowed to roam outside may never know that their cat has fathered a litter — or two, or twenty! Many people think that spaying and neutering is unnecessary or too costly, but the unwanted litters cost money by taking up space in shelters; essentially, the cost is passed on to the wider community to bear.”
For more information on free spays and neuters being offered, visit carescatshelter.com.