By Greg Bennett
The Coast Guard
NovaNewsNow.com
People across Shelburne County and beyond were reaching out in an effort to help a colony of abandoned cats from a rundown Rockland home.
Members of the Beulah Burman Memorial Animal Shelter trapped more than 30 cats at the derelict house last week in a rescue effort that nearly overwhelmed the shelter’s resources.
But in a matter of a few days of collecting the cats, shelter members were receiving offers of help from across the province including a major donation from a Halifax veterinary clinic to spay and neuter all the animals.
As the paper was going to press, members were trying to arrange transportation for more than 25 of the cats to Halifax.
The organization was also trying to find permanent and emergency homes for members of the colony, most who were well accustomed to people.
On Thursday, members of the South Shore Freedom Riders Motorcycle Club arrived to drop off food and litter. Members also adopted a cat and will be putting out donation jars in the area for the shelter.
Shelter Director Shelly Hipson hopes most of the cats will eventually be adopted.
“We need 31 homes …we have five so far,” said Hipson.
They are not feral and Hipson noted that most were likely house cats dropped off after they were no longer wanted.
Although most of the cats were in surprisingly good shape, she said that some of were in desperate need of medical attention, including one that has lost an eye from infection and another with horribly frostbitten ears.
Hipson said the group would need continued support from the community to help with the many problems the organization was dealing with.
Donations can be mailed to PET Projects PO Box 267 Shelburne, NS BOT 1W0 or go online to www.petprojects.ca/ .
Items, litter, food, cleaning supplies etc. can be dropped off at Maria's Convenience, King Street, Shelburne. Food and litter can be placed at the group’s drop off bin at Sobeys.
