Happy Days Sanctuary to host barbecue fundraiser on Saturday

A Stevensville animal rescue will hold its first ever community barbecue Saturday to raise funds after taking in 54 cats from an overwhelmed senior during an animal rescue “epidemic” in south Ontario.

Happy Days Sanctuary says the event aims to cover mounting veterinary bills, food costs and attract new volunteers to care for the animals. The rescue already has more than 100 cats on site and says the influx has pushed it to capacity.

Founder Ann Swinson said the crisis began when an 84-year-old woman tried to shelter cats from the cold last winter but was unable to stop them from breeding.

“When they first called me, it was 30 and 30 cats can become 90 in two months,” Swinson told Fort Erie Radio on Thursday.

The sanctuary has already taken in 39 cats and kittens, many in poor health, but another 15 remain at the woman’s home. Swinson said other rescues in Southern Ontario are also full, calling it an “epidemic,” leaving few options for placement.

“There are still 15 there, and if they all get pregnant, we’re looking at another colony within weeks,” said Swinson.

She said the surge in pet ownership during COVID-19, when many people wanted kittens or puppies while working from home, has since left rescues overwhelmed as some of those animals were abandoned once owners returned to their jobs.

She stressed that Happy Days is a no-kill sanctuary, but said if they cannot keep up with demand, more cats may end up in systems where euthanasia is the only option.

Saturday’s fundraiser will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot of Joe’s Independent Grocer on Gorham Road. Volunteers will be grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, and all proceeds will go toward medical care, food and housing for the cats.

First Onsite Property Restoration, a national restoration company, is donating pet bandanas and emergency stickers for homes with animals, which will be handed out at the event.

While others in the community have held charity barbecues in support of the sanctuary before, Swinson noted this will be the first time the sanctuary hosts one of their own.

“We’ve never done a barbecue before, so we’re praying it works,” said Swinson.

She said the event is also a chance to recruit help for daily care, which requires volunteers to provide daily support and take care of the cats.

“Right now we desperately need volunteers,” she said.

Swinson noted that adoption fees fall far short of the sanctuary’s medical costs, with annual veterinary bills reaching six times the amount collected in adoptions.

“Our adoptions were about $5,000 for the year, yet our vet bills were over $30,000,” said Swinson.

If the Ridgeway barbecue is successful, Happy Days hopes to hold another event before Christmas.

Residents unable to attend can support the rescue through donations or by volunteering time at the sanctuary.

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