First free spay and neuter day for cats in Surrey

Five animal welfare and rescue organization are joining forces to tackle the cat overpopulation crisis in Surrey.

It’s estimated there are over 20,000 feral and stray cats roaming the streets of Surrey, and if the issue is not addressed, that number will continue to grow each year, according to the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association (VOKRA).

The animal welfare organizations trying to curb the overpopulation held an event on Sunday, November 2 at Scottsdale Veterinary Hospital where veterinarian Dr. Shawn Llewellyn and a team of volunteers spayed and neutered over 30 Surrey cats, free of charge.

“We’ve prevented at least a litter per cat so that’s six cats that we’ve prevented per cat that we’ve spayed or neutered today. So 180 cats plus all of the subsequent litters that might happen. It’s very significant,” said Alannah Hall from VOKRA.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We've prevented at least a litter per cat so that's six cats that we've prevented per cat that we've spayed or neutered today. So 180 cats plus all of the subsequent litters that might happen. It's very significant," said Alannah Hall from VOKRA.

Organizers of Sunday’s Surrey Spay and Neuter Day said part of the problem is low-income pet owners may not have the funds to spay and neuter their pets.

Kathy Powelson, Executive Director of Paws for Hope Animal Foundation says feral and stray cats are living in “danger of starvation, disease and injury.”

“If we can prevent more kittens being born then we can limit that population, said Dr. Llewellyn , “But today’s clinic is only helping these cats. There are many, many more that also need to be handled.”

“Ignoring the situation or assuming cats are independent animals capable of taking care of themselves isn’t good enough. On November 2nd we’ll help these cats – preventing thousands of new cats on the streets of Surrey – and we look forward to additional efforts alongside members of the Surrey Community Cat Coalition,”said Powelson.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If we can prevent more kittens being born then we can limit that population, said Dr. Llewellyn , "But today's clinic is only helping these cats. There are many, many more that also need to be handled."</p><p>"Ignoring the situation or assuming cats are independent animals capable of taking care of themselves isn't good enough. On November 2nd we'll help these cats - preventing thousands of new cats on the streets of Surrey - and we look forward to additional efforts alongside members of the Surrey Community Cat Coalition,"said Powelson.