Humane Society’s Free Cat Event Destroys Years of Work to Change Public Perception of Cats
Winnipeg, MB, July 13, 2011: The Winnipeg Humane Society today announced an event that will destroy years of hard work by cat rescue and adoption organizations. For many years these organizations have been working diligently to change the public perception that cats have no value. The WHS is planning to give cats away on Friday July 15.
“They are, in effect, hanging a ‘free to good home’ sign on the front door.” says Craig Street Cats founder, Lynne Scott. “For years we have struggled to get people to believe that cats have value, that they are worth spending the cost of vaccinations and spay or neuter surgery. This event undoes all of that hard work.”
According to Scott, giving the cats away free of charge sends the message that they are disposable. She also says that people place little value on things they get for free, and that the cats given away on Friday are very likely to end up on the street or in other shelters. “In a city that already has 50,000 to 100,000 homeless cats roaming the streets, we absolutely do not need a major animal welfare agency giving the impression that cats are worthless.”
About Craig Street Cats: Craig Street Cats is a non-profit organization working to humanely manage feral cat colonies, rescue kittens, and educate the community about feral cats. It was formed in 2008, in response to the many feral cats and kitten seen roaming Wolseley’s Craig Street in the winter of 2007 - 2008.