The Alberni-Clayoquot branch of the SPCA is making a public appeal for donations after three animals in care—a kitten, a cat and a dog—had to have surgery for serious injuries this month.
A cat named Luke Skywalker came into SPCA care with a badly injured tail that required an emergency amputation. “Luke was originally a stray, and he was surrendered once we found the owner,” said animal care attendant Kayla Babiuk.
Rina is a kitten who arrived with a damaged eye that had to be surgically removed. She was a stray and the person who discovered her injury brought her to the SPCA for help.
Lady the dog had a fractured hind leg that needed to be amputated, and her owner surrendered her into the care of the SPCA.
“We are asking the community to come together and help us care for these animals, who required costly surgeries and will need weeks of rehabilitation,” says Alberni-Clayoquot Branch manager Sam Sattar. “All of these animals have wonderful personalities and we hope to find them loving homes once they are healthy.”
The branch is hoping to raise a total of $3,235 to cover the veterinary costs of caring for all of these animals.
Babiuk and Sattar expect all three animals will be adopted. “Lady and Luke are up for adoption, and Rina has an application on her,” Babiuk said.
Although the SPCA has a budget at the beginning of the year to pay for medical emergencies, it’s difficult to stay within monthly allocations, Sattar said. That’s why they are making an appeal to help pay for medical costs for these three animals, which all needed serious surgeries around the same time.
“The start of the year isn’t as bad because they’re slow months. The summer months it escalates and we go over budget. We hope it balances out over time.
“Between the four veterinarians in town that we use, we’re doing everything possible to stay within our limits. At the same time, we can’t say no.”
Medical costs are typically branch-specific, while programs such as the spay and neuter program receive support from the provincial BC-SPCA. “We were over (budget) by about $1,000 in June and over by about $1,200 for May,” Sattar said. “We’re looking pretty busy for July as well.”
The Alberni-Clayoquot SPCA has been dealing with a high number of animal lately. At the end of last week they were almost full, Sattar said.
“We had some great adoptions that happened and we were able to transfer a few animals out; we were able to foster some as well. Fostering is something we’re always looking for.”
To learn more about making donations to the medical emergency fund, go online to spca.bc.ca/medicalemergency. Tax receipts will be issued for larger donations.
For more information on fostering animals or adoption, visit the SPCA branch at 4936 Broughton Street, Port Alberni, 250-723-5269.
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