BURSTThe BC SPCA has taken in 46 animals after their original guardian’s living arrangements changed — and they’re available for adoption at locations throughout the province, including Surrey, Kelowna and Nanaimo.
The 46 animals include 22 cats and kittens, 16 Call ducks, six Muscovy ducks, one sheep, and one goat. All have been transferred to different BC SPCA locations in B.C. including Kamloops, Kelowna, South Okanagan/Similkameen, and Surrey, to receive further care.
With no place to take their animals, their guardian made the compassionate decision to reach out for help, BC SPCA shared in a release.
The BC SPCA has three barns located throughout the province (Kelowna, Nanaimo, and Surrey) dedicated to offering specialized care to farm animals. While all animals arriving at the BC SPCA undergo health assessments, farm animals and animals cohabitating in large groups, have heightened biosecurity protocols, which involve the use of full personal protective equipment (PPE), infectious disease testing, and rigorous health monitoring.
“There’s a lot of work happening behind the scenes that goes into caring for any animal, and farm animals are no exception,” said BC SPCA senior manager, animal triage and flow Kahlee Demers in the release. “They require specialized staff knowledge, different types of enrichment and care, and stringent health protocols.”
On average, farm animals remain in care longer than other animals, the release said. The average length of stay for a dog or cat before being adopted is 10-14 days, but farm animals stay for an average of 29 days; one reason for this includes the challenge of finding homes that can provide for the unique needs of farm animals.
“We’re hoping to bring attention to these critters so they can find their forever homes quickly. They’ve already been through a big change in the past week since they arrived in our care, and we’ve love to see them in a home setting as soon as they’re able to,” said Demers.
The animals arrived in relatively good condition and are currently in quarantine until health testing can be completed. They will be available for adoption once they are medically cleared.
Interested potential adopters can visit the BC SPCA website at adopt.spca.bc.ca to set alerts or view adoptable animals.