By Jessie Weisner

Woman upset after two cats euthanized

Jan 31, 2019 | 4:34 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — There have been several posts on social media this week regarding four stray cats, the Medicine Hat SPCA and APARC (Alberta Pound and Rescue Centre).

CHAT News has spoken with those involved, and learned that four cats were relinquished to the SPCA on January 10 2019.

A local woman, who does not want to be identified, says she fed the outdoor cats every morning and evening, and that she just wanted a better life for them.

“So my husband packed up the four cats,” says the woman. “Took them to the SPCA, and he was assured that they would find a good home for them, probably a farm where they can be barn cats and catch mice.”

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The woman says her husband was asked by staff at the SPCA for a $200 owner relinquishment fee for the four cats, even though the SPCA doesn’t have proper kennels for stray cats. 

She says he paid $40, but that the cats were there for just three days before they ended up at a APARC

“A few days later, I get phone calls, telling me my cats had been moved to APARC and had been put to sleep,” says the woman. “Well then, we were upset because that’s not what we wanted.”

CHAT News approached APARC for confirmation they received the animals, and they say yes.

They said after three days of assessment, two of the cats continued to show aggressive behaviour and posed a risk to staff, so a decision was made to euthanize them.

APARC confirmed one of the other cats ran away, and one is up for adoption.

CHAT News then approached the SPCA on Wednesday for answers. They said we were referring to the wrong cats.

However, after speaking with the woman and showing her pictures, she confirmed we were addressing the correct ones.

“Those are the cats,” says the woman. “We’ve never seen the other ones before.

Audrey Becker, shelter manager at the SPCA, admits they were wrong, and says there was a mix-up from a separate relinquishment earlier in the month.

“There was some confusion on which cats were which,” says Becker.

Becker says the cats should have never been admitted because they were wild, and no fee should have been collected.

“I think there was a mistake made by the office staff,” says Becker. “Because clearly it was marked on the form that the cats were wild, and we cannot handle wild cats, the cats should have never come here.”

Becker says the miscommunications were a result of two employees, which she plans on meeting with.

“They don’t work at the same time so I have been talking to both of them separately,” says Becker. “To establish a meeting to get both of them in at the same time and meet with them.”

APARC is now conducting an investigation.

As of now, the woman did end up getting a refund from the SPCA, money she has now sent to APARC.

She doesn’t intend to donate in the future.

“I want nothing more to do with the SPCA,” says the woman. “I had them in my will as a donation, but that will be changed.”