Today is a very sad day for our foundation; we had rescued two ill cats from a woman who was said to have a “cat rescue facility” and the SPCA refuses to help us.
On May, 2012, a member from our community requested us to investigate the living conditions of the 56 cats living in the above mentioned building.
On May 6, the person feeding the cats brought two cats to us in good health, she said. The same day the two cats were adopted by a man in Sooke who had promised taking very good care of them.
At the beginning of June we received a complaint from the man saying the cats were not used to the litter box. He said he was willing to keep trying for a while. In case he would change his mind, we had offered him to call us to pick them up. On June 15, we noticed that the cats were living outside day and night in the cold, but this time they were completely frightened.
On July 1, after obtaining the man’s landlord approval to re-trap the cats we finally got them. The same day they were placed in a loving foster home.
On July 19, the foster mother gave us the diagnosis that both cats had intestinal problems, but that one of them, Petite, needed immediate medical attention. Sadly, it was already too late for her. She had the FIV (Feline Immuno Virus) and a bacterium called, Campylo Bachter, which does not like air.
On July 20, 2012, we called the SPCA. We have covered the cost for the first cat and requested them to help us pay for the second one. The answer was, ‘You were the one taking the cats in and they are your responsibility now. The fact that you cannot pay for the veterinary care of the animal does not speak highly about your foundation. If you want to surrender the animal to us you first need to pay for the FIV virus exam.’
It must be noted that in order to get an animal tested we also need to pay for the doctor’s consultation totaling approximately $120.
Therefore, the irony on this case is that people from Sooke are donating to help the animals in Victoria, but nobody is donating to help the animals in our own backyard?
Margarita Dominguez
Sooke Animal Food and Rescue Society
Sooke