Animal welfare is a tough business. There is a never ending supply of animals, but a limit on the number of volunteers and donations we can secure. Because our business is hard, it is vital that all animal welfare agencies operating in a community work together.
Cooperation means sharing things like knowledge and best practices, and sometimes sharing supplies when times get desperate.
Also of critical importance is the need to work together to create a schedule of events that allows every agency the best possible chance at raising funds and finding good homes for the thousands of animals we collectively care for each year.
I am concerned that this cooperation is not happening in Winnipeg. Just today, the largest animal welfare agency in Manitoba announced a “Free Cat Day” for this coming Friday, November 22. Also this weekend, are two scheduled Craig Street Cats adoption events for our fostered cats.
This is the third time within a year that this agency has scheduled a “Free Cat Day” before one of our larger adoption events.
This agency has made no attempt to contact us to inquire about our over-capacity situation or our adoption event schedule. If a phone call was too troublesome, a quick search of our website, Facebook page, or
Twitter account would have informed them that we had an adoption event scheduled for this weekend.
The continual overlap of their “Free Cat Day” events is becoming harder and harder for me to believe to be coincidental.
This large agency knows that the no-kill shelters in Winnipeg are struggling. To knowingly schedule a “Free Cat Day” on the same weekend as a no-kill shelter’s large and publicized adoption event, is irresponsible.
Craig Street Cats is not in a position, financially, to offer our cats for free and we do not agree with the practice of discounting our animals to nothing. The City of Winnipeg has an over population of cats in part because people consider cats and kittens to be disposable. Offering them for free and using a speedy adoption process with less stringent reference checks, reinforces this mindset and perpetuates the problem.
A large number of the cats and kittens given away for free this weekend will end up in classified ads or discarded at no-kill shelters as people reconsider their “free purchase.” Simply put, a free item takes a lot less thought to acquire than one that involves a modest investment and a shopping trip that takes longer than 40 minutes.
If you are considering adopting a cat or kitten this weekend or know someone who is, please urge them to visit a no-kill shelter where cats and kittens are valued and where we depend on the co-operation of Winnipeg’s no-kill donors and supporters for our survival.
If you are a supporter of an animal welfare agency that conducts “Free Cat Days” please consider contacting them to let them know that such events are not good for reducing the unwanted cat population and in order for you to continue to support them, you need a commitment that they will stop these events and cooperate with local no-kill rescues on future scheduling.
You may also want to respectfully voice your concerns in ways such as social media and in media comment sections.
Information regarding our adoption events this weekend is available at http://www.craigstcats.ca/adoption-events.html
Cooperation means sharing things like knowledge and best practices, and sometimes sharing supplies when times get desperate.
Also of critical importance is the need to work together to create a schedule of events that allows every agency the best possible chance at raising funds and finding good homes for the thousands of animals we collectively care for each year.
I am concerned that this cooperation is not happening in Winnipeg. Just today, the largest animal welfare agency in Manitoba announced a “Free Cat Day” for this coming Friday, November 22. Also this weekend, are two scheduled Craig Street Cats adoption events for our fostered cats.
This is the third time within a year that this agency has scheduled a “Free Cat Day” before one of our larger adoption events.
This agency has made no attempt to contact us to inquire about our over-capacity situation or our adoption event schedule. If a phone call was too troublesome, a quick search of our website, Facebook page, or
Twitter account would have informed them that we had an adoption event scheduled for this weekend.
The continual overlap of their “Free Cat Day” events is becoming harder and harder for me to believe to be coincidental.
This large agency knows that the no-kill shelters in Winnipeg are struggling. To knowingly schedule a “Free Cat Day” on the same weekend as a no-kill shelter’s large and publicized adoption event, is irresponsible.
Craig Street Cats is not in a position, financially, to offer our cats for free and we do not agree with the practice of discounting our animals to nothing. The City of Winnipeg has an over population of cats in part because people consider cats and kittens to be disposable. Offering them for free and using a speedy adoption process with less stringent reference checks, reinforces this mindset and perpetuates the problem.
A large number of the cats and kittens given away for free this weekend will end up in classified ads or discarded at no-kill shelters as people reconsider their “free purchase.” Simply put, a free item takes a lot less thought to acquire than one that involves a modest investment and a shopping trip that takes longer than 40 minutes.
If you are considering adopting a cat or kitten this weekend or know someone who is, please urge them to visit a no-kill shelter where cats and kittens are valued and where we depend on the co-operation of Winnipeg’s no-kill donors and supporters for our survival.
If you are a supporter of an animal welfare agency that conducts “Free Cat Days” please consider contacting them to let them know that such events are not good for reducing the unwanted cat population and in order for you to continue to support them, you need a commitment that they will stop these events and cooperate with local no-kill rescues on future scheduling.
You may also want to respectfully voice your concerns in ways such as social media and in media comment sections.
Information regarding our adoption events this weekend is available at http://www.craigstcats.ca/adoption-events.html
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