Rescue group making a difference for cats in Erickson
In the year since Stray Cats of Erickson Inc. first opened, the cat rescue agency that humanely traps, neuters or spays and releases stray cats they can’t find homes for back into the community has faced its challenges and triumphs.
Most recently, founder Michelle Dominey was shocked to discover that the group’s Facebook page had been compromised. While it’s not clear exactly what happened, on March 19 Dominey found herself locked out of the account she’d grown over the past year.
Worried about the impact that might have on keeping people in the community thinking about the work that her organization does, she quickly made a new group, called Stray Cats of Erickson Inc.
“I almost cried I was so upset,” Dominey told the Sun. “Because it’s a rescue I literally relied on those followers for everything.”
Social media is also a vitally important way for the group to find people who are willing to help out by transporting animals to and from the vet for their appointments.
Cats are often overlooked or seen as pests in communities where their populations have grown due to cat owners not spaying or neutering their animals and not providing them with proper care, Dominey previously told the Sun.
Last year, she noticed that the stray cat population of Erickson, 80 kilometres north of Brandon, had steadily increased over the last few years. Dominey quickly assembled a group of like-minded volunteers and Stray Cats of Erickson Inc. was born.
The group is TNR rescue, which stands for trap, neuter (or spay) and release. Stray or wandering cats are humanely trapped and brought into a vet clinic to be spayed or neutered. After they recover from their surgeries, they’re released, unable to add to the stray cat problem by reproducing.
In the last year, Dominey has heard feedback from within the community that the group’s efforts to control the town’s stray cat population is appreciated.
“People aren’t seeing as many cats as they used to, which has really been helpful,” she said.
Still, there are those in the community that seem to struggle to understand why the cats are released after being trapped and fixed, Dominey says.
While it would be ideal for every cat the rescue takes in for treatment to find a home, the sheer number of felines they help and the fact that many of those cats are feral presents a real problem, she added.
“It’s just so full that there hasn’t really been any rescue lately, we’re all so full. It’s just so hard, especially for a feral cat. People don’t want to deal with that,” Dominey said.
Dominey is usually able to find homes for the stray cats that come through the rescue, but feral cats are used to living their lives outside. They often form colonies near feeding stations and the group also tries to provide them with insulated shelters to keep them warm during the winter months and cool during the summer.
“We’re constantly keeping an eye on them,” Dominey said. “I want people to know that they’re doing no harm. They’re there because of decisions that we as a community have made. They’re not breeding. They’re just trying to live out their lives as comfortably as possible.”
All cats that Stray Cats of Erickson Inc. offer up for adoption have not only all been spayed or neutered, but have also all been tested for disease like feline HIV and feline leukemia, the latter being a terminal disease that cannot be passed on to other animals.
While working at the rescue is an incredibly rewarding thing that Dominey once only dreamed of doing, it comes with its fair share of heartbreak too, she said, usually from pet owners who have decided they can’t handle caring for a cat and choose to surrender it.
“Recently, we had someone surrender [their cat]
because they got a puppy,” she said. “As much as I would like to say people are becoming more aware and making better choices, I don’t personally see it, but I really hope that it does make people think twice.” Thankfully, that older cat has been sent to a senior cat rescue in B.C. where it will get a second chance at a happy ever after, Dominey added.
Dominey would also like to see more by-laws put in place regarding the proper treatment of animals in the community.
Iain Edye, the chief administrative officer of the Municipality of Clanwilliam-Erickson, is impressed with the work that Stray Cats of Erickson Inc. has done in the community.
“Stray Cats of Erickson is doing excellent work with limited resources. They’ve got some very committed volunteers and it’s wonderful to see,” he said.
Edye says discussions on how to deal with stray and feral cats in the area is something that comes up periodically at council meetings.
“Council is not sure how to regulate … cats, because there’s such a strong cultural component and they’re very difficult to regulate. They don’t recognize fences if people let them out,” he said.
Miranda Leybourne, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun
