Pop-up animal triage centre opens in Prince George to support massive cat intake by BC SPCA

A pop-up animal triage centre is now open in Prince George to support a historic rescue operation by the BC SPCA.

The agency announced Monday that it’s transformed an empty warehouse into a temporary centre as it enters phase two of a massive intake involving more than 200 cats and kittens from a property in Houston.

The operation was launched in late March, after the BC SPCA received a request for help from the animals' owner.

Bruce Robinson reported himself for a potential animal cruelty investigation because the cat situation on his five-acre property had "got out of hand," he told CTV News last month.

Robinson, a self-described “hillbilly” who lives alone, says he began taking cats in back in 2019. While he’s always been able to provide the animals with food and shelter, keeping up with their sterilization was a greater challenge. Eventually, the population boomed.

More than 263 animals involved

In the nearly two weeks since the intake process began, the BC SPCA says it has removed 263 animals from Robinson’s property.

“We’ve had a number of kittens born since being in our care as well,” Kaila Butler, the BC SPCA’s senior communications manager, wrote in an email Tuesday.

She explained that the first phase of the intake involved mother cats and their kittens, as well as any adult cats that needed urgent medical attention or were visibly pregnant.

“They were immediately brought to the BC SPCA North Cariboo community animal centre and most are still receiving ongoing care in foster homes,” said Butler.

However, that centre was not able to accommodate the entire intake of cats, which is why a temporary centre was set up in Prince George. The goal is to have all animal transferred to permanent animal centres within 36 hours of admission, according to Butler.

“The owner’s hope is to surrender all the cats and kittens into the BC SPCA’s care. We are currently working with them to determine what next steps will look like for the remaining animals,” she said.

Cost of intake estimated at $275K 

In a previous news release, the BC SPCA says it hasn’t been involved in an intake of this scale since the late 1990s.

Adrienne McBride, the BC SPCA’s senior director, describes the effort as an “all hands on deck type of situation.”

“Staff have travelled from as far as Vancouver Island to Prince George to prepare for and support the intake of these cats,” says McBride, adding that the agency had to collect hundreds of litter trays and wire crates to open the triage centre. “We’ve had teams working around the clock on this.”

The BC SPCA estimate the total costs of this intake will reach at least $275,000.

“This includes costs associated with removing the cats and kittens from the property, transportation, veterinary care, spay and neuter surgeries, staffing costs to support this intake and any supplies that weren’t already donated,” said Butler.

The agency says it is not considering an animal cruelty investigation at this time.

“The owner’s hope is to surrender all the cats and kittens into the BC SPCA’s care. We are currently working with them to determine what next steps will look like for the remaining animals,” Butler said.

 

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ian Holliday