It takes a village to raise a kitten, and anyone looking to help local stray cats in the community now has the purr-fect opportunity to make a meaningful impact, thanks to the SCRAPS ‘It Takes a Village’ fundraiser.
The fundraiser is organized as a raffle draw, and tickets can be purchased at various locations around town to support the program. All proceeds from the fundraiser go toward helping our stray cats find a new lease on life.
The draw date is Sept. 9, and the winner will be presented with an intricate set of seven birdhouses donated by Drinkwater’s finest birdhouse maker, Don Lammle.
Featuring a hand-crafted village of seven birdhouses in the shape of small-town buildings, Lammle has done a remarkable job capturing every intricate detail. His village includes a church, town hall, jail house, and more. Each birdhouse has the SCRAPS name incorporated with the building.
If you are interested in Don Lammle’s custom-built birdhouses, Cat’s Ass Birdhouses can be reached at 306-690-1047 and is located in Drinkwater, Sask.
SCRAPS has also partnered with Tourism Moose Jaw for a special gift basket that can be won by purchasing raffle tickets at their location. The basket, named “coffee with cats,” features several items provided by SCRAPS including books, chocolates, coffee, and a mug.
The SCRAPS organization also has a yearly calendar which can be purchased exclusively at their Town and Country Mall storefront. The calendar retails for $10.00 and is more than just a calendar as it tells a bit of the organization’s story, and features a dozen rescued cats. All proceeds help the organization achieve its goals.
SCRAPS operates by seeking out stray cats in the community and enrolling them in the TNR (trap, neuter, release) program. When cats are reported or otherwise located, volunteers take the cat into their care and start with a veterinary check-up. Strays are then spayed or neutered to help control the feral population, given updated vaccines, and micro-chipped to keep tabs on their whereabouts.
After this process has been completed, the cats with a clean bill of health are released and monitored. Several feeding stations are supported by SCRAPS around town, and during the winter months these cats are given a warm shelter to get out of the cold.
“We don’t just give up on them at that point. Our main goal is to not only manage the population, but we want to take care of the cats that are out there on their own,” said Anne Marciszyn, a volunteer with SCRAPS.
Kittens are another story altogether. If a kitten is rescued, SCRAPS aims to give them a new lease on life by putting them up for adoption, rather than leaving them on the streets and alleyways as an unloved cat. The organization currently has around 100 cats in their foster care program.
“We want to thank our whole team of SCRAPS volunteers… for all their hard work,” said Marciszyn. “A lot of people work full-time jobs and still volunteer a lot of time to help the cats. We also want to thank our community for supporting us over the years… we’ve had great support from our community and our business partners.” She also wants to include a message of thanks to the Town and Country Mall for their ongoing support.
SCRAPS is a local non-profit organization running since 2011 and is staffed by volunteers. The organization seeks to care for stray cats and to control their population by spaying or neutering the animals that come into their care. “We work to create an upstream defense in managing cat populations in our city and surrounding areas,” said Marciszyn.
“We are a non-profit organization, so the only way we get funds is to raise them through donations and by doing fundraising events such as this,” she added.
Donations can be made at several locations, including the 9 Lives Boutique located at the mall. Additionally, you can purchase raffle tickets at any of the following partner locations: Pet Valu, Tourism Moose Jaw, DDK Pets, ExCallipurr Cat Café, Moose Jaw Animal Clinic, PEAK Veterinary Clinic, and the SCRAPS booth at the Wakamow Market.
Tickets are $10.00 each and donations can be made by cash, credit, or debit. Anyone wishing to make an e-transfer donation can contact Anne Marciszyn at 306-684-9048. Only 500 tickets are issued, so act fast!
The draw date is Sept. 9 and will take place at the SCRAPS store at the Town and Country Mall. The storefront is open Fridays from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
For more information or to inquire about pet adoptions, SCRAPS can be reached at 306-684-9048.
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