Photo: Emma Friedman/WBZ NewsRadio
WALPOLE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A foster-based rescue shelter is asking the community for help in fostering some of their cats.
Cat Canton Rescue relies on foster homes to take care of some of their adoptable cats and kittens. Businesses like PetSmart also help with the housing, with members of the rescue using their facility while still taking care of the cats hands-on.
Due to an unprecedented rise in cat surrenders, however, president of the rescue Donna Sullivan is calling on volunteers to help in the fostering process.
Sullivan explained that the number of calls for cat surrenders the rescue has been receiving lately has skyrocketed.
“It sounds rather normal and routine but the amount the volume that we're dealing with there's nothing routine about it,” she said. I'm personally averaging minimal three to six or more calls per week of just surrender.”
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While the reason for this increase in surrenders is unknown, Sullivan said that the rescue hasn’t experienced a volume like this in over a decade.
“I'm not sure exactly what happened but I feel like there are so many towns now that are just reverting back to when I first started rescue and it's overwhelming,” she said. “I have not seen it in this condition in over probably over 15-20 years.”
Since putting out the call for help, a few people have stepped up already to offer their home for cats, which Sullivan showed tremendous gratitude for.
“I'm proud to say and very happy we got three people calling and offering to foster, Sullivan said. “I call foster care people my angels, they are absolutely angels of the organization; without them we can't save lives.”
More information regarding Cat Canton Rescue can be found here.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Emma Friedman (@EmmaFriedmanWBZ) reports.