ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Locally, some pet owners and animal shelters are finding it difficult to book appointments at veterinary hospitals. One no-kill cat shelter, Pet Pride, just completed their expansion which will help get cats primed for adoption. Pet Pride in Victor was able to adopt out 570 cats last year and they plan to double that number with their new facility. This $1.2 million dollar project will give them that chance while also speeding up the process.
Those at Pet Pride are trying to rescue as many cats as they can. They’ve been quietly saving homeless cats for the past 45 years, but they realized there was a greater need in the Rochester area. The Vice President of Pet Pride Cat Sanctuary, Marlies Sullivan says they now have a wonderful facility that is going to help adopt out more cats because of its capacity.
This expansion will double the number of cats they’re able to take in, by offering enrichment opportunities as well. This includes Kitten Castle for the little ones, which is kept separate from the other areas of the facility to keep the immunocompromised kittens safe. It also includes a home-like atmosphere to keep the cats from getting too stressed. Often, animals are stressed in a shelter and Pet Pride’s goal is to de-stress the animals while they’re in their care. At Pet Pride, the cats also roam freely, but when they do want to hide, there are also large enclosures with areas for food, water, and litter. In addition to all this space, Pet Pride offers what they call “catios,” to allow for the cats to spend time outside. There they can watch deer and birds on the property.
While enrichment is important, the money is also going towards a new surgical suite to cut down on the amount of time it takes to get cats at their facility neutered and spayed. The cats need this before they can be adopted out and it usually takes about four to six weeks to get appointments. Pet Pride Shelter Operations Manager Kari Labounty says they were transporting cats to four different vet hospitals to do so. Now with their new surgical suite, they can perform these operations on site and it’s less stressful for the cats.
In the near future, organizers at Pet Pride are planning to provide educational services and activities like animal CPR training, learning programs for kids, and kitten yoga. They are also looking for more volunteers, fosters, and adoption ambassadors.
Pet Pride is open daily for appointments. They also welcome walk-ins Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information about adopting or volunteering, you can visit www.petprideny.org