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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday August 30, 2008 - 7 Cats rescued from breeding operation gone wrong By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Animal Protection Officers from the Oakville and District Humane Society are asking for the public's help in managing more than 50 cats rescued from a residence in northeast Oakville last week. On Friday, Aug. 22, a concerned citizen called police reporting possible incidents of animal cruelty taking place at a nearby home. Police in turn called the Humane Society, which soon arrived at the scene to investigate the situation. "It was pretty clear (there was a problem)," said Johanne Golder, executive director, Oakville and District Humane Society. "You could smell it, even from outside." After obtaining a search warrant, under the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Golder entered the home where she discovered an apparent Bengal cat breeding operation gone bad. "The cats were living in deplorable conditions, feces and urine everywhere," she said. "They were hiding in kitchen cupboards, inside sofas, with no food or water." The darkness of the home, which had no hydro, also concealed other cats that were locked in cages. Golder said it took about nine hours to remove all the cats from the home, as many were afraid of humans and took some effort to coax them out. Despite what they've gone through this difficult time. "We need donations, we need cash to pay for all of the costs for these guys," said Golder. "We're pretty sure we are going to need more foster parents. There may be a few of the cats that are pregnant." The humane society foster parents take mother and baby animals into their homes for a short period of time. Baby animals benefit from the program, as it gets them out of the shelter where they are susceptible to respiratory disease. The program also gives cats, like the 50 that were just rescued, a chance to learn what it's like to live with a person, thereby preparing the cat for adoption. Anyone interested in becoming a foster parent or adopting one of these cats, when they are ready, can call the shelter at 905-845-1551 or e-mail rescuecats@oakvillehumane.ca. A one-time donation to help the rescued cats may be made to the Oakville and District Humane Society either online, by mail or by telephone. Donations should be earmarked `rescuecats'. Ongoing donations of just $10 per month will help the Humane Society continue to rescue animals in distress. See more details at www.oakvillehumane.ca. The owner of the home where the cats were found was not present when the search warrant was administered and is now the focus of an investigation. MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER IN SEARCH OF A HOME: Oakville and District Humane Society's animal health technician Deb Gray displays one of 50 Bengal cats rescued from an Oakville house. through and the terrible conditions in which they were found, Golder said the cats have fared relatively well. "They're underweight, but not too bad," she said. "We don't have a full understanding of their health yet, they will have to be more closely examined, but at a glance they're all eating and happy to be in cleaner conditions." While the cats's health may not be a problem, their numbers at the Humane Society are. The Oakville and District Humane Society's shelter on Cornwall Road can house about 160 cats comfortably, but currently has around 400 in its care. "We have them in kennels everywhere," said Golder. "They're in the offices, the washroom, the hall, in a trailer we've had to rent for them. They're in foster homes, they're being boarded at vets, they're all over the place." The arrival of 50 cats in one day has done little to ease the strain on the Humane Society's already limited resources, as it must now absorb the cost of vaccinating, spaying, neutering, housing and feeding the new arrivals. For these reasons, the humane society is hoping for the public's help in getting 2 w Su SA ee nd LE ks ay E on , S ND ly! ep S t. 7t h Fine Children's Furniture Linen and Decor The Complete Room sale NO PST · NO GST On Furniture & Linen Orders and All In Stock Items* Senior woman wins lottery S e v e n t y - t w o - y e a r- o l d Betty Zubulakis of Oakville won $140,935 playing Lotto 6/49, on the Aug. 2 draw date. Zubulakis, who has been playing the lottery since its inception, found out that she was a Lotto 6/49 second prize winner when she called the OLG Win Line and discovered that she matched five out of six number, plus the bonus. "I was so happy, I started crying. It was a huge surprise," she said to OLG Prize Centre staff. 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