Submitted by RVSNS directors: Neysa Weatherbee, Wendy Cinnamon, Gord Handlen, Sue Prue and Tracy Yetter
It has been a string of busy years for the Robson Valley Spay and Neuter Society (RVSNS). Between 2013 and the end of 2020 the society has helped spay or neuter 506 cats and dogs! Last year 41 cats and 6 dogs were spay/neutered or vaccinated in the Robson Valley and 32 cats were re-homed through the society. This has made a positive impact on the health of the animal population in the valley and prevented many unwanted litters.
The Robson Valley Spay and Neuter Society was formed in 2013 by a handful of volunteers to address the feral and stray cat population in the valley and is completely run by volunteers. We started out with matching grant funding from the BCSPCA to help us address the needs of three local cat colonies and then received local funding to remove financial barriers for owners wanting to spay/neuter their pets and to raise awareness of the benefits of basic vet care and collars with identification tags.
We created a dedicated building to provide shelter for stray and feral cats so they can heal after surgery, before returning to their caretaker or adoption to new homes. Contrary to popular belief cats cannot live completely wild but depend on human support to survive.
The RVSNS volunteers have participated in craft fairs and bottle drives, hosted concessions at concerts, manned BBQs, held silent auctions and raffles, and picked up garbage along the highway to generate funds for expenses not covered by grants and to raise awareness of the need for spay and neutering. Volunteer help is always needed and welcome for fundraising or for fostering cats. The local recycling depot will set aside funds for the society if you let them know you would like to donate your bottles. We have had great community support with donations of cat food, supplies, and cash donations.
Past grant funding from Regional District of Fraser Fort George (RDFFG), Valemount Community Forest, CBT Community Initiatives Program, and the BCSPCA have made it possible for us to make this impact in our communities.
This year we have secured funding from BCSPCA to address two cat colonies (a total of 50 cats), funding from CBT Community Initiatives Program to assist owned cats and dogs in the Village of Valemount, and funding from a RDFFG’s Community Grant-in-aid to assist both owned and stray cats and dogs in Area H of the regional district (Robson Valley region). These funds will be used to provide basic vet care, spay/neuter, vaccinations, and treatment for parasites. All other expenses will come from donations and fundraising efforts.
There are so many reasons to spay or neuter your pet: a longer, healthier life, less roaming, less fighting and resulting injuries, and fewer unwanted litters and abandoned and stray cats.
If you require financial assistance or know of a stray animal in need, please contact the Robson Valley Spay and Neuter Society at 250-566-9706 or send us a message on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/RobsonValleySpayNeuterSociety
