Victoria Femia
The Okanagan Humane Society is encouraging individuals to spay, neuter your pets to keep away from feral animal overpopulation and a tough life for animals.
OHS is a registered charity that’s been round since 1996 and was began by two ladies who have been addressing the necessity to assist management animal overpopulation.
The society helps pet homeowners entry reasonably priced spay/neuter therapies for his or her pets. In addition they began a rescue program that brings in stray, deserted and feral animals to be mounted with a view to assist cease the breeding and overpopulation.
Romany Runnalls, president of the Okanagan Humane Society, says there are a lot of events the place feral animals are caught and introduced in to be mounted, nevertheless, because of the animal being unsocialized after being outdoors so lengthy, they will’t be re-homed or adopted.
The lifetime of a feral animal is tough and doesn’t final lengthy, mentioned Runnalls.
“We’ve had 1000’s and 1000’s of those kittens and cats being born outdoors to a really determined lifetime of fending for themselves, looking for meals, pushed by their hormones to breed extra and the cycle simply continues,” mentioned Runnalls.
The feral animals are additionally prone to spreading sicknesses to one another, as they aren’t vaccinated like home pets are.
“You see this inhabitants of animals which might be actually breeding and dying, and breeding and dying and a few make it via, some reside but it surely’s a really tough life, lots of the feral animals don’t reside quite a lot of years outdoors… it is unhappy to see, but it surely’s very correctable,” she mentioned.
OHS is reminding individuals easy methods to be part of the answer to pet overpopulation, forward of World Spay/Neuter Day on Feb. 22.
“Please spay/neuter your animals, additionally get them vaccinated and dewormed, it’s essential for his or her well being and (get) identification, so microchipped or a tattoo… so we are able to reunite animals with their homeowners, but additionally its a stamp that these animals have been mounted,” mentioned Runnalls.
Final 12 months OHS helped look after over 1,300 animals within the Okanagan. Since they opened in 1996, they’ve cared for 23,000 animals.
OHS gives a Pet Help Program to make sure these with monetary obstacles can obtain vital medical consideration for his or her animals together with spay and neuter.
In addition they have a Rescue and Adoption Program that sees animals from the North, Central and South Okanagan, and Shuswap, get rescued then obtain all mandatory medical consideration wanted earlier than being positioned for adoption to their new, loving dwelling.