Street cats like Cheesy Poof often need medical or cosmetic care when they are picked up by organizations like the Nanaimo and District SPCA. As of press time, he's still available for adoption at the Nanaimo branch (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

urgent cases first

Nanaimo SPCA prioritizing animal welfare with available shelter space during busy season

Jan 2, 2022 | 9:13 AM

NANAIMO — The Nanaimo and District SPCA branch may not always be your first call if you’re looking to re-home your pet.

Leon Davis, manager for the Island/Coastal region of the SPCA, said while local branches do not have unlimited space for unwanted animals, they do accept them based on who has the most urgent need.

Cruelty investigations and other emergency situations typically take precedence.

“We offer compassionate and emergency board for people who are experiencing domestic abuse that need to leave quickly, or a flood or fire, or someone who’s been hospitalized, we try to also priorities those.”

However, there are instances where the SPCA might ask someone if they can hold on to the animal.

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“Cats are definitely the number one thing that comes in. Owner surrender, so people that no longer can keep their cat for whatever reason, that’s the one where sometimes we have to say to people, ‘we’ll get back to you as soon as there is room’.”

Strays are also a priority, with injured or sick felines being accepted first for one of the 26 available spots at the Nanaimo SPCA.

He says shelter capacity changes daily and is based on a number of factors like adoptions done that day, owners showing up to claim their stray animal, or some might be transferred out to neighbouring SPCA’s.

SPCA branch staff may also make priority space for animals surrendered during a cruelty investigation or a hoarding situation.

Davis said they also rely on their foster program a lot in order to stay under capacity, and more foster homes are always needed.

“Especially during COVID, because the more animals we have in the branch the more people we need in the branch to care for them, and we are trying to manage that to keep our people safe.”

Foster homes also have the added benefit of being able to see their personalities and how well the animal socializes with others, which increases their chances of being adopted.

The Nanaimo and District SPCA takes in around 700-800 cats annually.

Davis said local charities such as CatNap Society, which mostly deals with feral and semi-feral cats, helps lighten the load.

He said the recently enacted Animal Responsibility Bylaw goes a long way in reuniting cats with their owners, by doing things like requiring cats to have ID, mandatory sterilization for outdoor cats, and modernizing sections to reflect current best practices on standard care.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow