The Shuswap branch of the BC SPCA is welcoming applications for spay/neuter surgeries through a program to assist low-income residents.
The program, which covers up to 50 per cent of surgery costs, is possible thanks to $10,000 in funding received from the Shuswap Community Foundation.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer this program to the entire area we serve,” said BC SPCA Shuswap branch manager Victoria Olynik in a Monday, Sept. 28 release.
“In 2018, we were able to spay and neuter more than 300 cats in Salmon Arm through a grant we had received and we received many inquiries from surrounding areas for a need for similar programming.”
The support from the Shuswap Community Foundation comes from the Margaret Haney Fund, an endowment left to assist the welfare and humane treatment of animals in the areas of Kamloops and Salmon Arm.
Read more: Shuswap SPCA expands animal food bank service to pet guardians in need
Read more: Video: Local contractors rebuild Shuswap SPCA’s “catio”
Olynik said applicants will be asked to provide proof of income to ensure the program reaches those most in need.
“In a time of growing need and financial difficulties for many families, this program will assist families for whom the costs of a spay or neuter procedure is a barrier but who want what is best for their cat,” says Olynik.
In addition, said Olynik, cats will be microchipped and cat guardians will receive a one-year registration to the BC Pet Registry which helps to reunite lost pets with their people.
For more information, contact Olynik at 250-832-7376, or by email at shuswap@spca.bc.ca.
