Moving time is fast approaching and, each year, this period is also synonymous with animal abandonment.
At the Mauricie Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA), nearly 300 hairballs are looking for a family for life.
Although 1,000 animals have already been adopted since the beginning of the year, adoption families are becoming rarer.
“At the level of animal entries, it is substantially the same. It is really at the level of the families who move to come and adopt that we feel a little slowdown, ”explained the assistant general manager of the SPA Mauricie, Sarah-Lise Hamel.
In view of the moves, other entries to the refuge are to be expected, as every year in the same period.
Fortunately, the phenomenon has tended to decrease in recent years.
“We want people to make responsible adoptions, but also responsible abandonments. So not to leave the animals outside, of course, if we have to leave or leave them alone in our accommodation, of course it is to be avoided, ”added Ms. Hamel.
In case of loss, an identification tag or a microchip allows almost 100% of the animals to find their home.
If there is a shortage of adoptive families, temporary foster families become an option.
For three months now at the SPA Mauricie, the host family program has been enhanced. It is now possible to send adult cats to voluntary families in order to leave more room at the shelter.
Whether it’s kittens that need to grow up in a safe environment or adult cats that require special care, these families help rehabilitate felines that can be adopted more quickly.
This is the case of Kathleen Bellerive who has been a foster family for 8 months.
“One shot I saw the cat overpopulation problem, I said, ‘I can’t close my eyes anymore, I have to get involved, I have to help.’ I’m going to make them a little room for them, I’m going to work with the kittens depending on their age, there are different stages, different needs, so I’m going to make sure that all their needs are met,” mentioned Ms. Bellerive. .
To become a foster family for a kitten or an adult cat, an online form is available on the SPA Mauricie website. For adoptions, appointments are necessary in order to meet the desired animal. The residents are presented on the site.
