Staff
Help is now on its way for a feral cat colony in the Municipality of Meaford. Through a collaboration of animal welfare groups and community organizations, a new project titled the “Meaford Community Cats Project” will launch at the end of this month.
The project is set to tackle the trap-neuter-return (TNR) of roughly 40 feral cats residing on a property in the municipality and raise funds to cover the costs. The colony has been cared for by a Meaford resident for a number of years, but the numbers are starting to grow. Due to natural reproduction, and people taking advantage of the situation and abandoning unwanted cats at their doorstep, the caregivers are now looking for help.
“The Meaford Community Cats Project came about as I was contacted by the colony caregiver and notified of the situation,” stated Dena Lewin, an active animal rescuer for over 40 years in the Meaford area and co-founder of Meaford Animal Rescue. “We contacted our partners at Feral Cat Rescue and went to assess the situation. Not only did we discover 4 pregnant cats who needed our help, we also learned that the situation required extensive attention.”
In an effort to tackle the issue of overpopulation, multiple animal welfare organizations and community partners in the Georgian Triangle and Grey/Bruce areas are already providing mutual support where possible. Through contact with each other, the following organizations have come together to assist on this project and raise the necessary funds (in alphabetical order): Feral Cat Rescue, the Georgian Triangle Humane Society (GTHS), Meaford Animal Rescue, the Municipality of Meaford, the Ontario SPCA and SMILE Animal Society.
“The Georgian Triangle Humane Society is happy to partner with so many incredible animal welfare advocates and like-minded community partners,” stated Calla Lyon, manager of marketing, communications and resource development for GTHS. “We now hope that the community will add their support behind this important project.”
At the end of this month, the Ontario SPCA Marion Vernon Memorial Animal Spay/Neuter Services will be completing the spay/neuter surgeries. The Municipality of Meaford will be providing a portion of the funding from their already established Meaford Cats program, and the collaborating animal welfare organizations will be fundraising to make up the rest of the estimated $2,600 needed to complete the project. Community members can make a donation via www.gths.ca or by calling 705-445-5204 ext 222. All donations of twenty dollars or more will receive a tax receipt.
The group is also urging residents to note the importance of spaying or neutering your pet. Not only does it provide health and behavioural benefits, it also prevents unwanted litters and controls the number of homeless pets in our communities. Residents of Collingwood and Meaford can currently apply for financial assistance to fix their pet through GTHS.
