Winter is coming to B.C., and as temperatures across the province start to drop, the BC SPCA is encouraging people who are thinking about adopting a furry family member to consider cats, and turn brrrs into purrs during its upcoming adoption event: From Nov, 20-30, all adult cat adoption fees are 50 per cent off. The half-price promotion is presented by Hill’s® Science Diet®.
“It’s cold outside. We’re reminding British Columbians that when one cat is adopted, it frees up shelter space and allows us to bring another cat in from the frigid winter conditions experienced in much of the province,” says Lorie Chortyk, BC SPCA general manager of community relations. “The society takes in several thousands of cats each year – right now, there’s more than 1,400 felines in BC SPCA care who need loving, forever homes.”
Homeless cats are a major issue in B.C., often suffering from injury, illness, predator attacks and frostbite. Illegal abandonment and animals who aren’t spayed or neutered contribute to the problem, as well as cats without permanent identification like a microchip or a tattoo, who are never reunited with their guardians.
Chortyk notes the adoption fee includes vaccinations, spaying or neutering, permanent ID, any necessary medical care, and internal and external parasite treatment. Normal adoption counselling and matching takes place to ensure animals go to a good home, and Petsecure provides six weeks of free pet insurance. All cats are microchipped, and for only $12 annually or a $45 lifetime fee, the animal will be registered in the province-wide BC Pet Registry, bcpetregistry.ca, to help ensure if a pet is lost, he can be found and reunited with his family.
“The Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love® partnership program with the BC SPCA and our support of this event is a natural extension of our mission: To help enrich and lengthen the special relationship between people and their pets,” says Hill’s Pet Nutrition general manager Joe Giles. “With the free bag of Science Diet® we provide with every adoption, our hope is that new pet guardians will continue the feeding regimen the BC SPCA has started, for a lifetime of health and happiness for their pet.”
Visit spca.bc.ca for more information.