Happy Days hosts Valentine’s open house amid rescue crisis

“Selfless” is often used to describe many volunteer circles, but it may fit nowhere better than Happy Days Sanctuary on Burger Road, where volunteers tirelessly work to find homes for Niagara’s most unwanted.

Terry, a cat kept in a cage for nearly a year by his previous owner, was among the animals up for adoption on February 14 as Happy Days held its first Valentine’s Day open house in Stevensville.

The event aimed to increase Happy Days’ adoption rate as the rescue copes with the aftermath of a deadly fire and tries to prevent new outdoor cat colonies in Niagara from growing.

A demolition order has been issued for the fire-damaged main house where 33 cats lost their lives last December. The building remains unusable during the investigation and cleanup, and founder Ann Swinson now lives upstairs in Happy Days’ main adoption facility.

“I right now am living upstairs with 30 cats. It’s comfy, but it’s a lot,” Swinson told Fort Erie Radio.

No clothing or other items could be removed from the boarded-up building during the investigation and cleanup, so Swinson has relied on donated clothing and improvised storage space for her belongings.

“Losing the cats was worse. We’re going to do a memorial to them. We have them here, actually. They were all cremated,” said Swinson.

The sanctuary has been asked to help with a barn in the Chippawa area of Niagara Falls, where approximately 20 cats are living and at least six are pregnant.

Swinson said it is crucial to intervene soon, recalling a situation last October where Happy Days took in 54 cats from an overwhelmed senior who was unable to stop them from breeding.

“When we first got the call, it was 31, but within a month, it was 54, because the pregnant ones all gave birth,” said Swinson. “We’ve got to stop it now, because that 20 will become 54.”

According to Swinson, the Niagara SPCA told the barn owners the cats would be euthanized if surrendered. Happy Days is hoping to socialize the cats and find them appropriate homes.

“We get so many people calling us with that problem. Caught between a rock and a hard place,” said Swinson.

The cost of taking on the barn case could reach about $10,000 once veterinary treatment, quarantine space and long-term housing are included.

Happy Days may seek help from other rescues, including Pets Alive Niagara, to take one or two mothers and litters so the remaining cats can be managed.

Cats taken in recently and still struggling to socialize stay on the ground floor of Happy Days’ main facility in controlled spaces. Upstairs, the adoptable room holds about 30 cats comfortable with people, where visitors at the Valentine’s Day adopt-a-thon could meet them.

Volunteer Liz Clemensen said the sanctuary operates without government or Humane Society funding and depends on volunteers and community donations to cover veterinary bills and daily care for its animals.

Most adoptions are arranged by appointment through Petfinder and social media, but Swinson said Happy Days is planning to hold monthly adopt-a-thons to increase visibility and help match cats with homes.

Veterinary screening standards add extra costs which most animal rescues are not willing to pay, Swinson said, including FIV and FeLV snap test screenings the sanctuary runs to reduce the risk of placing infected cats into homes with other animals.

The rescue pays about $70 per test through an arrangement with a veterinarian, compared with about $150 at many clinics.

Those who want updates on Happy Days’ rescue efforts and future adopt-a-thon dates can follow Happy Days Sanctuary’s Facebook page.

To book an appointment to meet adoptable cats, donate or volunteer, email info@hdsanctuary.org.

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