More foster homes needed for abandoned cats

By Kathy Johnson

THE COAST GUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

Too many abandoned cats and not enough foster homes has the Beulah Berman Memorial Animal Shelter Society “in a pickle.

“We’re kind of scrambling,” said Shelley Hipson, one of the volunteers with the PET projects program, after the discovery of six more abandoned cats in the county earlier this month.

Already the society has 12 foster homes in the county, each caring for several cats at a time until the animals are adopted.

“It works quite well,” said Hipson, adding by fostering out the cats, there is no overhead costs for operating the shelter, and more animals can be accommodated.

“This way we can accomodate 20 to 25 cats, whereas the shelter only has cages for 18 cats,” said Hipson.

In the past two and a half years, 350 cats have been rescued in the county, said Hipson. “The problem of so many abandoned pets needs a community approach as the solution. Our PET Projects group can't do it alone. We are only a half a dozen women. It is bigger than us.”

Hipson said the group is trying to get to the root of the problem by offering a spay/neuter program for cats and dogs. “There have been over 200 people so far who have used this program funded by the kind and generous people in our community. With one female cat able to have 15 to 20 cats in a one and a half year period, it makes a difference,” said Hipson, adding the group would like to make this program bigger and better.

The PET projects group is organizing two Outreach Adoption Events in order to increase exposure to our pets in foster care and thus adoptions, said Hipson. The first was held at ERMES in Shag Harbour on Oct. 11. The second one will be held on November 22 at the Community Center in Shelburne.

Anyone wanting to find out more about the foster program or pet adoption can contact the society at 875-2367 and leave a message, or online at www.petprojects.petfinder.com