RAPS volunteers are available to visit local schools with a shelter animal to teach kids of all ages about how to approach animal, how to treat animals and the responsibilities of pet ownership. This program can be catered to the needs of each class or grade level. Please contact RAPS for more information and availability of volunteers.

I think this is a wonderful program and that children that learn early on that animals are a big responsibility and not some "fad" or "whim" to have, is great. Teach them young, and hopefully that will help reduce the amount of abandoned animals.

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Education for Pet Owners

RAPS offers free educational materials available at the Richmond Shelter on how to care for rabbits, the benefits of spaying/neutering, the 'Dog's Bill of Rights' and how to care for your cat. Please visit the Richmond Animal Shelter to pick-up information or to use our reference library of books. Also, check out our online educational site on cat care.

Low Cost Spay-Neuter Assistance Program

Low-income residents of Richmond can contact RAPS for low-cost spay or neuter surgeries of their cat or cats. Using this program, RAPS will arrange to have your cat spayed or neutered, and you pay a portion of the cost. The City of Richmond bylaw requires that cats must be spayed or neutered. Please contact RAPS at 604-275-2036 if you require assistance.

Over population of pets really comes down to the fact that many pet owners opt to NOT spay or neuter their pets. The cost is usually the reason, and I applaud RAPS for offering a low cost option.

I wish all cities have a bylaw requirement to fix your pets or that any animal sold as a pet would have to be spay or neutered prior to placement in a residential home.

Help Prevent Animal Over-Population and Cruelty

Petition Against the Sale of Animals at Retail Outlets and Related Matters

Petition Against the Sale of Animals at Retail Outlets - Public Signatures

City of Richmond Animal Control Regulation (Bylaw 7932)

No Puppy Mills Canada

Oprah's Show on Puppy Mills

Fluffy Net - Listing of No-Kill Shelters and other information

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Richmond Animal Protection Society (RAPS) is a registered charity that operates two shelters in the City of Richmond, British Columbia. The first shelter, on No. 6 Road in Richmond, is North America's largest cat sanctuary. At this shelter homeless and abandoned cats and kittens are rescued and cared for. Most of these beautiful animals would have otherwise faced starvation, injury, disease and an early death due to the many hazards in their environment. The cat sanctuary is currently home to more than 800 animals.

The second shelter is the City of Richmond Animal Shelter, which RAPS have operated since February 2007. In 2006, RAPS bid for and was awarded the city contract to take over operation of this shelter. By expanding to a second facility, RAPS now cares for a wider variety of animals including dogs, cats, rabbits and other small domestic animals.

In addition, the RAPS City Shelter runs a comprehensive adoption program to find the animals at this facility a safe and loving home.

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DONATE NOW:

I have made a personal pledge page to collect donations for RAPS. I hope to raise money for the charity through this blog. I have all ready donated, and donate monthly. You can set up monthly donations through CanadaHelps or do a one time gift. You can always pick one specific cat at the shelter to sponsor as well, there is a sponsor program (info available on their web site). If you are interested in adopting an animal, please contact RAPS directly.

Every bit helps.

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For great stories about RAPS adoptions and other tidbits, please read the RAPS BLOG.

or read stories from another RAPS volunteer: Neko's Blog.

You can now also follow RAPS on Twitter.

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For more of my photos of the Cats & Cat Sanctuary please visit my Cat Sanctuary Flickr Photos.

Barbara.Doduk's RAPS Cats (2009) photoset

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