September 24 fire at community housing building on Wellseley St. in Toronto

As many of you know a devastating fire in a public housing highrise on Wellsley in Toronto left 1800 people displaced. Fortunately some residents were able to get their pets to safety but most lost everything in the fire and no residents are allowed to re-enter the building until further notice. Project Maddie was there to provide cat and dog food for displaced and possibly homeless pet owners.  Over the course of the weekend Project Maddie delivered approximately 500lbs of cat and dog food.

Many of you are concerned about the safety and well-being of pets still in the apartment building.  The City of Toronto set up an Animal Information table at the Wellseley Community Center (which is serving as a temporary shelter for displaced residents with nowhere to go).  Pet owners who registered information about their pets with the Animal Information table have had their units visited by Toronto Animal Services who provided enough food and water for 48 hours.

Toronto Animal Services has done an amazing job.  Officers are literally working around the clock.  They finished a 24 hour long shift at 2:00 this morning at were back at it by 11:30.  All dogs have been evacuated and several are being cared for at a TAS shelter until their owners can claim them.  Several people staying at the emergency shelter in the Wellseley Community Center have their dogs with them.  Cats, birds and reptiles have all been left in the building but are being tended to as long as the owners notified someone at the Animal Information table about them.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to supporters who made our relief efforts possible.  Many residents have lost everything due to fire, smoke and/or water damage.  The companionship of beloved pet(s) is more important to these individuals than ever.  Our response to this tradgedy has completely depleted both our food bank and our financial resources.  We are hoping for your continued support so that we can continue to keep people and pets together.

kitten season and re-homing cats

This time of year animal shelters and cat rescues are crushed by the weight of "kitten season".  Unplanned and unwanted litters of kittens fill every inch of available space and every resource is stretched beyond imagination.  The impact of kitten season on rescues, shelters, and foster homes stretches well in to the fall, often in to early winter.

Recently Project Maddie has been contacted by families or individuals desperate to re-home cats, likely because the animal shelter in their area is full.  Unfortunately Project Maddie doesn't have access to any re-homing options that aren't already available to the public, however with our individual backgrounds in animal shelters and rescues we hope we can point you in a safe and fruitful direction.

1.  Always contact your local Humane Society or OSPCA branch first. Animal shelters exist to provide food, shelter and safety to animals that would otherwise be on the street (and at great risk for illness, injury or death) until they can be placed in loving homes. Understand that space may not be available immediately, and speak to someone there are being placed on a waiting list if possible.  Most shelters will also require a surrender fee to help offset the cost of food, litter and veterinary care until the animal is adopted.

2. Speak to your vet and/or local pet supply store about posting information about the cat being re-homed on an adoption board. **

3.  Post information about the cat on a website such as Craigslist or Kijjiji **

** If you are considering re-homing your cat to a stranger always request a small adoption fee.  You can keep the fee yourself, or donate it to an animal-related charity.  People who "collect" stray animals, and people with nefarious intentions often scour "free to a good home" ads.  Asking a small fee will weed out these individuals and help you identify serious potential adopters.