By Nancy Kelly
KingsCountyNews.ca
It’s been a long, cold winter for abandoned and feral cats and kittens.
“Living outdoors, especially in the kind of weather we have had so far this year, is not a nice life for cats,” says Melissa Lee, member of the Berwick-based Safe Haven Animal Rescue (SHAR) society.
On March 16, friends of the society hosted a book sale and flea market at the Windermere hall to raise funds to assist in the group’s efforts to rescue and find “forever homes” for homeless cats.
Lee, who has been involved with SHAR for eight years now, says the group’s biggest challenge remains the fact “that there are so many homeless cats out there.“ She says if people neutered their cats it would make a huge difference, but she recognizes that providing vet care and neutering for a cat can be costly.
“Unfortunately, it’s just not affordable for some people,” says Lee, who would like to see some kind of government support put in place to assist with these costs.
The society has three cats in care at the moment and has placed eight cats in homes since the beginning of the year.
“It is just putting a dent in the problem, but we are doing what we can.”
The work of SHAR is entirely dependent on money raised at fundraisers and through donations. Lee says people who want to support the group have the option of donating directly to the Berwick Animal Hospital.
“These donations go right into our account, which we use to vaccinate and neuter cats that come to us,” explains Lee.
The group’s next fundraiser is a large ticket auction of all-new items, taking place April 27 at the Berwick town hall, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
