A cat rescue society in Sooke is appealing for help after taking in 44 kittens over the weekend, with a further 20 teenage and adult cats possibly still to come.
On Saturday, the Feral Cat Rehabilitation Center went to a house in Port Renfrew where a recently evicted tenant had left the animals behind without food or water.
“I estimate we are going to need between $10,000 to $15,000 for medication, vaccines and to spay and neuter all these kittens,” said Margarita Dominguez, president of Sooke Animal Food and Rescue Society, which is behind the Feral Cat Rehabilitation Center.
Dominguez and a number of volunteer host families are caring for the kittens in their homes, but there pregnant adult cats left at the property due to a Sooke bylaw.
Although there are no restrictions on the number of kittens a Sooke homeowner can keep, they cannot have more than four adult cats (an adult is defined as any cat more than four months old) in their care.
“In order to care for more than four, I have to apply to be a kennel, which I am happy to do, but for the fact that I will need to buy five acres of agriculturally-zoned land,” said Dominguez, 70, who has been rescuing cats abandoned in the woods from East Sooke to Port Renfrew for 10 years.
“That’s unreasonable and this outdated bylaw has got to change. My job is to protect animals and the bylaw is a death sentence to animals.”
Dominguez has advocated for a change in the bylaw so that her group and others can legally care for cats when needed. She said the law had forced otherwise law-abiding animal-lovers to surreptitiously exceed the limit.
People call her instead of the SPCA because of her work with feral cats, Dominguez said. “I am their best chance at survival,” she said.
Although the SPCA will take in all cats, feral and semi-feral cats can sometimes scratch or bite, which can lead to them being euthanized because it is more difficult to find a home.
“I am certain all these animals will die if I don’t take them in,” said Dominguez. “I am the only person who is willing to take the time to rehabilitate the cats.”
Dominguez has set up a to pay for medical costs. By Thursday afternoon, it had raised more than $4,000 towards its $10,000 goal. For more information, go the the .
