Regina woman donates over 1,300 cans of cat food to local humane society

What originally started as a goal of collecting 101 cans of cat food for one Saskatchewan woman ended up as a donation of 1,395 cans for the Regina Humane Society.

Bernadette Ripplinger says she set out to collect 101 cans of cat food in honour of what would have been Betty White‘s 101 birthday on Jan. 17, but when people got wind of her initiative, the interest from the community took off.

0:27 Regina Humane Society grateful for ‘exceptional’ donation of cat food

“I like helping out when I can. It makes me feel good,” said Ripplinger. “I have to be always helping someone out. It’s my mission, my life.”

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Ripplinger received contributions for more than 40 donors and spent about $600 buying the cat food with the monetary offerings she received.

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“We have an amazing community that would step up and help,” she said. “I don’t know these people (but they were willing) to trust me enough to send me e-transfers to buy cat food for the humane society to help them out.”

Bill Thorn, Regina Humane Society’s marketing and public relations director, said they are grateful for such an incredible donation from someone in the community.

“I really don’t have words other than thank you,” he said. “One thing that we always need is canned cat food, because an awful lot of cats come through our door and it’s a challenge to keep those tummies full and keep them to keep them fed. And this will go a long, long way.“

Thorn said the Regina Humane Society has at least 100 cats in their care: some in their building and some with foster families. He said the city has a cat population problem and many of them go through their doors so it’s important that the Regina Humane Society is able to look after them and have food to feed them.

Thanks to Ripplinger’s drop-off donation, the cats will be fed for a while.

“(They) are awesome … that means the world to me. Just a simple thank you is all I need,” she said.

The Betty White Challenge started in January 2022 following the actress’s death. She was known for her love and advocacy for animals, so the initiative took off world-wide and returned again this year.

0:27 Blaze the cat feels the warmth with foster family, after multiple surgeries from frostbite