BC SPCA Sea to Sky

01/16/2025

A little interactive TV this morning in room 2.

01/15/2025

We have so many amazing younger adult cats and some smaller critters, looking for homes. The rooms are full as these wonderful felines and friends wait to meet their love match. Orange, black and white is the latest trend as you can see.

01/05/2025

We sure saw some interesting animals come through our doors in 2024. Here is a breakdown of our adoptions:
6 birds (3 were parrots)
96 cats
3 tarantulas
88 kittens
16 puppies
6 rabbits
2 rats
We still have over 36 cats/kittens in foster to adopt homes who need to be adopted that were in care during late 2024. Our total for adoptions in 2024 is 217.

12/31/2024

We wish everyone, happiness, peace and a healthy New Year. There are so many people, businesses and supporters that we could not name them all here but thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity.
We have gotten over $300 in independent gift cards from everyone who brought in their receipts in the last few months, and we will be able to collect 2025 receipts as of tomorrow. We cannot receive any dated 2024 as they will not be excepted by the store for gift cards.
It is hard to believe we still have kittens coming into care from foster homes in late December. I hope these photos put a smile on your face.

12/16/2024

We have some wonderful cats and older kittens right now up for adoption. This is just a handful of who we have. We also have birds and an amazing rabbit.

12/15/2024

Senior dogs deserve all the love we can give them! ❤️
If you are lucky enough to share your life with a senior dog, here are some tips for those gentle souls who have their own specific needs.
Training can be an effective tool for helping your senior dog get the best of their golden years.
Dog trainer Bianca Steinmetz explains the particular needs of senior dogs and how to use training to support them in enjoying a happy life.
https://animalkind.ca/senior-dogs-training-tips/

12/11/2024

Some of you are aware that we do a lot of outreach, which includes pet food for those in need. We keep track of how much comes in and how much goes out and so even though we are not at the end of the year quite yet, we thought we would share our numbers with you.
We are very proud of our program which has grown a lot over the years. We also have a low cost spay and neuter program that has spayed and neutered a lot of pets since 2015. We have had to put the spay/neuter program or SNAP, on hold until the beginning of the new year as we have run out of grant money. We will do our best to accommodate those who qualify in the new year who apply for help.
In the meantime, we have pet food and often other supplies if they are needed, and we recently did two Vet treatment and microchip clinics in remote areas, and they were very successful. The goal is to expand this program as we can to other communities.

In 2024 we gave 2053 kg of dog kibble and 818 cans of dog food and provided 1064.17 kg of cat kibble and 2332 cans of wet cat food. We were also able to provide 636kg of cat litter.
It is estimated (the numbers are low) 684 dogs and 709 cats were helped and provided with needed food and supplies.
We will be here as long as the program is needed, and we want to thank all of you that were able to donate much needed food and supplies to the program.

12/08/2024

Look what our friends as Cliffside Cider are doing! Get a great Holiday photo with your four-legged friend, and while your there, have a tasty cider. Cheers!

12/05/2024

For those of you have not seen our room 2 for cats, we have a T.V. on the wall and we play cat friendly videos for the cats. Duey was very interested in the Grosbeaks on the screen today. If he could only figure out how to get inside the screen...
We still have some wonderful young cats for adoption. Room 1 is Augusta and her brothers Beethoven and Mozart. The boys are a handsome orange with white. They can be a bit shy at first, so you need to go slow, but once you start to pet them, watch out, they turn into a puddle.
Augusta is black and white and very sweet. She will seek out attention, unlike her lazy brothers who like to lounge in the cat tree.
Mr. Duey is also available, and he is seeking a quieter home and a lap to snuggle in and definitely some birds to watch.

12/03/2024

❤🐾Today ALL loving gifts to help animals at BC SPCA Vancouver will be matched by a group of generous animal lovers, up to $100,000!🐾❤
Your kindness means so much to those in need like the adorable new kittens. Your caring contribution this will not only help animals, it will complete families this holiday season, as they snuggle up with their beloved pets, their hearts warmed by unconditional love.
Will you find space in your heart for tiny kittens like Nutmeg today?
Your gift will go twice as far! ⭐️⭐️
➡️ https://spca.bc.ca/locations/seatosky/

11/21/2024

⁉️ Want to avoid unexpected dog-wildlife encounters?
If safety is a priority for you, then avoiding unexpected dog-wildlife encounters should be at the top of your list!

We are in B.C., after all, and who doesn't love enjoying the outdoors with their pets? The AnimalKind team has put together tips to help minimize unexpected encounters and make it safer for you, your dog and wildlife! What's in it?

- Things to do at home to prevent unexpected dog-wildlife encounters
- How to prepare when heading into nature
- The importance of learning about seasonal milestones

All on the BC SPCA's AnimalKind website >>> https://animalkind.ca/avoiding-dog-wildlife-encounters/

📸 Jeanette Ovens

You can help minimize risks by learning more about the impacts of unexpected dog-wildlife encounters and taking action to keep everyone safe. Here is how...

11/18/2024

We have a new fun fact for you!
The Sea to Sky BC SPCA now has the biggest ringworm culture lab in the country. We have actually been told in all of North America.
It is very important to check for ringworm on all animals who enter our animal centers, as it is very contagious, not only to the other animals, but to humans as well.
Ringworm is a fungus and not a worm and the lesions are often round with a red ring.
Cats coming from unsanitary conditions or when there is a larger population, are often carriers or infected with ringworm.
At every intake exam, we use a woods lamp to look over the whole animals' body to see if there is any detection of ringworm. We look for hair loss, lesions and use the woods lamp. Ringworm has a very specific green glow under the blue light, but it can also fool you.
Animals who are infected are quarantined and treated. One of the weekly tasks when dealing with ringworm is to take a toothbrush and gently scrape the lesions and the fur around the lesion to get a sample of spores. The toothbrush cultures are then sent to the ringworm lab for testing.
Samples come from all over BC from the BC SPCA centers to the Sea to Sky center.
The toothbrush samples are then scraped into special Petrie dishes specific to ringworm cultures and then put into an incubator where they are monitored for ringworm spore growth for 14 days.
It can take a very long time for the ringworm to be treated, and the BC SPCA can require up to 2 to 3 negative tests before an animal is considered ringworm free, depending on the type and severity.

Wood's lamp: A special black light called a Wood's lamp causes the fungus to glow a yellowish-green color.3 It's a simple and noninvasive test to perform, but it's not always accurate. The lamp can make other things glow, including dead skin cells, topical ointments, and other fibers, so it's just one test used for evaluation.

Culture: One of the most accurate ways to diagnose ringworm is to take samples of your cat's fur and skin and place them on a special culture medium to see whether the fungus will grow.
So, there you have it. You now have been educated on basic ringworm protocols of the BC SPCA.
FYI: No tours of the lab as it is off limits.

11/08/2024

🐾When it comes to pet services, do you know who to trust with your pet?

❗️❗️Not every business offers the same level of care. So, it’s a good idea to know what to ask before taking your pet to the groomer, daycare or boarding, or hiring a dog walker.

➡️These are questions you should be asking depending on the type of service you are looking for: https://animalkind.ca/dog-training-and-care-services/pet-care-services/

10/29/2024

Hello Squamish, we would like to do Holiday pet/family photos again this year and so we are reaching out to see if anyone is willing to volunteer their time.
It doesn't have to be a traditional Santa, it could be a woodland fairy or something that would do well with a wintertime photo and not scare the pets or the people😄
We have a backdrop and the potential to make a nice wintery scene but no costumes. We also will need a photographer to take the photos and to send them digitally to the customers. Please email [email protected] if you think you can help. We like to think outside of the box, so if you have any ideas, you can also throw them our way. FYI we cannot have any characters from movies etc. due to trademarks.

10/24/2024

We would like to introduce another amazing cat named Salina. We are not sure why she is still here and it is sad to watch such an amazing cat get passed over for kittens. Salina is young and has a personality bursting with such great vivacity and energy. She loves people and other cats, and will follow you around like a little dog.
Working at the computer or sitting around a table with other people can be a challenge as Salina will want to be a part of everything you do and to supervise. We are just joking, as these are very endearing qualities. She likes to share your cup of water and to hang out with humans at every chance she gets.

10/24/2024

Squamish is notorious for rats and mice and it can get overwhelming. Here are 4 tips on how to better handle those pesky visitors.

The most effective and humane way to solve rodent problems is prevention. Download our checklist to rodent-proof your home.

10/23/2024

Thank you Pearl's Value and Vintage for the dogs, to help train staff about canine behavior and defense handling.

10/23/2024

🏠🐭 Home upgrades = rodent control?
New research shows that home energy retrofitting helps with rodent control! By upgrading windows, doors, and walls, retrofitting reduces gaps that rodents use to access homes.

AND in neighbourhoods with parks and low commercial activity, retrofitted homes were especially effective at keeping rodents out.

PLUS these upgrades support natural predators, like owls and coyotes, who naturally help control rodent numbers. 🤯
Read more about it on the BC SPCA's AnimalKind website! ⤵

New research is out showing that energy efficient retrofitting of homes has the additional benefit of helping to control rodents.