THUNDER BAY – A local animal rescue could be in line for some major support.
Kitty Kare has advanced to the final round in this year’s Aviva Community Fund competition, with judges deciding which organization will collect $50,000.
Cindy Sakiyama, a co-founder of Kitty Kare, said since the group was started in 2010 more than 600 cats that would have been euthanized have been rescued from the city’s animal services.
That’s despite having a very limited amount of space and resources. Kitty Kare only has three homes to house the cats immediately after being rescued.
“Those homes monitor them to ensure they’re healthy before we foster them out. We’re very limited as to the number we can rescue by the number of buffer and foster homes we have,” she said.
That’s why the organization has begun raising money to one day go towards building a cat sanctuary.
Kitty Kare reached the final round of voting in the Aviva Community Fund, having received enough votes through multiple rounds to advance. A panel of judges will determine the result.
Receiving votes from Thunder Bay as well as other parts of the world is validation.
“It’s very exciting and encouraging because people believe in what we’re doing and supporting us financially,” she said.
By making it to the final round, Kitty Kare is automatically guaranteed to receive at least $5,000 from the Aviva Community Fund.
Any funds won through the competition will go towards expenses and veterinary fees, which will allow other donations to be collected for the sanctuary.
