CORNWALL, Ontario – Protesters demanding money from the City of Cornwall to deal with the feral cat problem in the city protested outside of City Hall before the council meeting on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018.
The protesters were from a variety of animal support groups from around the region including Roy & Cher’s Animal Rescue.
Angie Parker, one of the founders of Roy & Cher’s said that this year, her organization has spent $15, 000 on spay and neutering stray cats, of that $5,000 was spent in the month of July alone.
Mary Jane Proulx, who also works for Roy & Cher’s and is running for Cornwall City Council said that this was an issue that the City should be funding.
“They spent money on the arts building, $400,000 and $5 million to renovate,” she said. “Let’s get our priorities straight. People tell me they wouldn’t move to Cornwall and that’s the problem. We want to new Council to know that this is a problem.”
Parker said she hoped that the CIty would contribute $20,000 toward the spay and neutering of stray cats and put some of that money towards foster families in the City.
“I believe that Trap, Release and Return, TNR, is the solution to helping a community over populated by cats,” said Parker.
Lianne Martel of Not Forgotten Cat Rescue and I’m Alive Cat Rescue said that someone needs to step forward and offer affordable spay and neutering services in Cornwall.
She recently started Comet’s Population Control to offer spay and neutering services.
By Nov. 2017 over 700 cats had been taken in by the OSPCA of SD&G. Each cat costs the OSPCA $514 to house. That cost does not include spay or neutering, vaccinations, and medical care. Approximately one-third of all cats surrendered to the SD&G OSPCA require medical attention.
The OSPCA announced that it would be sending its mobile spay and neuter clinic to Cornwall.
The clinic will be at the Cornwall Civic Complex on Thursday, Oct. 4 and Friday Oct. 5. The clinic will offer a surgical examination, the spay/ neuter procedure and a cone if needed. The procedure is $150 for a dog and $90 for a cat. For an extra $20, the clinic will also do a wellness exam of the animal.
