February was spay/neuter awareness month, and the BC SPCA is continuing to maintain awareness by announcing more than $100,000 in funding to help communities across the province address cat overpopulation.
“This year’s funding is the largest amount that has been available through the BC SPCA Community Animal Spay/Neuter Grant program since its inception,” says BC SPCA outreach specialist Marieke van der Velden.
“We’re excited to continue the program for its sixth year and continue our work with individuals and groups who are compassionately helping community cats in their region.”
Since the launch of the program in 2013, the BC SPCA Community Animal Spay/Neuter Grant program has supported the spaying and neutering of 3,217 cats, 339 dogs, and 100 rabbits. The grant program is designed to help non-profit organizations, veterinarians, First Nations communities, and regional and municipal governments working to address pet overpopulation.
“Preventing unwanted litters through spaying and neutering is the most effective and humane approach to solving environmental, conservation, and welfare issues, and we are seeing communities across B.C. coming together to help cats,” says van der Velden. “In addition to preventing population growth, fixing these cats also improves the health of the individual cats and the human community in which they live.”
The BC SPCA is looking forward to increasing the impact of the program and making significant gains toward a future where every cat has a home, van der Velden notes.
The society is now accepting applications for the 2018 BC SPCA Community Animal Spay/Neuter Grant program. Funding will be distributed to projects that effectively better the welfare of a community’s most vulnerable companion animals.
The application deadline is March 21. To learn more or apply for a grant, visit spca.bc.ca/spayneutergrant.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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