Last Saturday, the Flin Flon and Creighton SPCA took in eight young cats from what was described as “a horrific situation” in a post on the organization’s Facebook page.
Carmen Ward, shelter manager for the SPCA, noted the cats were brought to the shelter from a crowded home; they were thin and infested with ear mites, and four cats were packed into a single-cat carrier.
“They were frantic and uncomfortable,” Ward said. “Their ears were badly damaged from the mites, and you could tell that some of the females had recently had litters.”
After the eight cats were taken in, Ward heard that 20-plus cats from the same home had been drowned. She said the RCMP were notified.
“I’d like people to know that situations like this happen in Flin Flon, that we have animal hoarders,” said Ward. “But we also want them to know that there are other ways of handling situations like this.”
One solution is the lower-income spay and neuter program, in which the SPCA subsidizes the cost of these procedures for families who qualify. The program is made possible thanks to fundraising by volunteers.
Ward also noted the SPCA can use its networks to help find homes for pets, even if they don’t have space for more animals at the shelter.
“People can’t keep quiet about situations like that,” she said. “You have to be the voice for animals because they can’t talk. We don’t disclose names, it’s all private and confidential.”
In addition to the eight new additions to the pet shelter, two four-week-old kittens are now at the SPCA after being left in a cardboard box outside the Cranberry Portage pound on Monday.
“They were dehydrated and crying because they were starving,” said Ward.
The kittens were far too young to be away from their mother (kittens are usually fully weaned at about eight weeks) so Ward has been syringe-feeding them.
The SPCA currently has 17 cats in its care, stretching the capacity of the space and the manpower of the shelter. In addition to Ward, there are two part-time staff members working at the SPCA, and a varying number of volunteers.
The SPCA is issuing a call out for homes to adopt or foster cats; they are also in need of volunteers and monetary donations. Volunteers are particularly needed for help with cleaning and pet care in the mornings.
To help, stop in at the SPCA at 1 Cliff Lake Road, open Tuesday to Saturday, noon until 4:30 pm, or call 204-687-8744.
