A Surrey-based charity that offers free spay and neuter for cats owned by low-income families has run out of cash.
The Surrey Community Cat Foundation issued a news release Monday saying that 2021 has proven to be a record year for its services. Typically, the organization covers the cost of spay/neuter services for 300 cats, this year that number has reached 450 so far.
“We were able to manage the volume of applications for spay/neuter until a spike in October, now we’re struggling to keep up,” program manager Lubna Ekramoddoullah said in the release.
Ekramoddoullah said cats that are spayed or neutered are the best way to reduce pet overpopulation and fixing cats has health benefits for the animals, such as improved behaviour and prevention of some types of cancer.
The lack of funding has forced the organization to put cats on a wait list.
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“We do our best to get cats spayed and neutered as quickly as applications come in, because all unfixed cats are at risk of mating the longer they go without surgery,” Ekramoddoullah said. “That’s why we’re asking the public to make a donation and help us get through the wait list. With their generosity, we can curb feline pregnancy and reduce the financial burden on cat guardians. Every dollar helps.”
With public donations, the organization would be on track to fixing 500 cats this year. To learn more about the organization, or to find information how to make a donation, visit surreycats.ca
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