$20K raised in less than a day to help care for 3 kittens found in DTES dumpster last week, SPCA says
Tens of thousands of dollars have been raised in just a few hours to help pay the medical bills of a trio of kittens found in a box in a Vancouver dumpster last week.
A fundraising page launched Friday on the BC SPCA's Medical Emergency website with a goal of $1,500 to pay for the kittens' medical bills. By early afternoon, it had already raised more than 10 times that amount.
"People are so amazing with their generosity," said Lorie Chortyk, general manager of community relations for the BC SPCA.
"We're always just so grateful for people's response."
The extra funds raised to cover the cost of the kittens' veterinary care will be used to help other animals in the SPCA's care that are facing medical emergencies.
The six-week-old cats were found in a box inside a dumpster near the intersection of West Pender and Abbot streets in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, according to SPCA Vancouver branch manager Jodi Dunlop.
The call came in around 10 p.m. on Feb. 10, and the animals were taken directly to an emergency veterinarian for assessment and care.
All three kittens were underweight and flea-infested, and had parasites. One of them had also suffered head trauma and a broken pelvis.
"He arrived struggling to breath with a bleeding eye and blood streaming out of his nose, a truly distressing sight for such a young animal," the SPCA said on its fundraising page.
After eight days in the SPCA's care, all three kittens are doing well, according to Dunlop. They've had their first vaccinations and are in the process of receiving flea and deworming treatments.
Even the injured kitten, who couldn't eat on his own and required hand-feeding, is recovering well. While he may still need surgery to repair his broken pelvis, Dunlop said she was hopeful that wouldn't be necessary, given how his recovery has progressed so far.
The kittens will remain in the SPCA's care for at least another two weeks of monitoring. Once staff are confident that the animals are healthy and have reached an appropriate weight for their age, they'll be spayed and neutered and offered for adoption, Dunlop said.
As of 1:30 p.m. Friday, nearly $20,000 had been raised in the kittens' medical emergency appeal, and more than 350 donors had contributed. Petsecure Pet Health Insurance said it would match the first $3,500 in donations to the campaign, according to the SPCA.
"That's incredible," Dunlop said of the response.
"It goes so far to help other animals in our care … It's wonderful how generous people are."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot multiple times in attempted assassination
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.