Street Cats Animal Rescue has a new home and staff can’t wait to introduce their feline friends to it.
The May 26 fire at the rescue centre on Shanty Bay Road forced the organization to spread its cats all over Barrie, but a new south-end location that should be ready for Aug. 15 has Street Cats executive director Carol Snow very pleased.
“It's over on Truman Road. We’re going to disclose the location closer to opening, but it's a newer building with lots of space, lots of lighting,” Snow told BarrieToday. “We’re very excited as it's a newer building than we were in before. We’re just really happy.”
The move was necessary after the fire displaced rescue staff/volunteers and the 56 cats they tend to. No cats died in the blaze at the former facility near Colborne Street along the Barrie city limits after a garbage truck caught fire close to the building.
The garbage truck was a write-off and the building sustained damage estimated at $80,000 to $100,000, according to Oro-Medonte Township officials.
What caused the initial fire, though, was undetermined.
The rescue centre was at the former Shanty Bay Road location for approximately 15 years and it had become a well-loved home for the animals and volunteers.
The rescue organization had to scatter cats to different temporary locations, forcing staff and volunteers to work that much harder to take care of them during what is their busiest time of year.
“It's going to be a slow process, getting the cats from where they have been temporarily placed and into the new facility," Snow said. "Some cats have to be reintroduced to each other; we’re all about minimizing the stress of the cats so this will happen in stages. We also have all the cages and other items we were able to salvage from the fire which is stored all over the place.”
Some things weren’t salvageable, however. The shelter has to get to more scratching posts, for example. Thanks to the generosity of the public, Snow said they will be able to do that.
“The community has been great and as we head into the new place, we’ll have some things that need done like some plumbing, carpentry, a little bit of electrical, things like that,” Snow added. “We hope the public can help with things like that when the time comes, with getting the work done after we pay for supplies.”
The need for help for cats was made evident recently as 26 cats were found left abandoned at the Aldergrove Animal Clinic on Yonge Street in Barrie this past Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Snow said she isn't sure how many of the original cats from the Shanty Bay Road fire will be in the new shelter, but it will likely be around the same number, although different felines.
“Some have been adopted and some may remain in foster care as they are near ready to go to PetSmart or Pet Valu for adoption,” she said. “So while we’ll be down (in the number of) cats we had from the fire, we’ve also taken in some. So we will likely be around that same number of 56 as we head into the new place.”
