It has come to my attention that deserving pet parents are being separated from their furbabies, due to the unjust & punitive measures implemented by the Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS BC). Unfortunately I experienced this first-hand...

On August 14th 2023, I met the most gorgeous & sweet young kitty at the RAPS adoption centre and fell in love at first sight. That same day, I joined the "foster to adopt" program for the 1 y.o. semi-feral cat named Bianca, who I renamed as Freya. I took her home that same day, and provided care to her without any issue for approx. 2 weeks, before I accidentally left the living room window open a small crack, and my other cat (Loki) had somehow pushed it open all the way when I was in the other room - letting Freya escape. Up until this point, I had strictly kept her indoors under close supervision, but in the few seconds that I looked away, my whole world changed.

Subsequently, I spent many sleepless nights searching for her with several volunteers/ trappers, created an ad campaign, engaged with "missing/lost pets" groups on Facebook for hours, printed hundreds of posters, and drove many miles in search. Overall this cost me hundreds of dollars and my mental health took such a toll that I called in sick to work for multiple days in a row, with no paid leave.

On December 30th 2023, I was notified by RAPS assistant manager, [Redacted], over email that Freya was found and returned to them. The email states: "I'm writing to let you know that we have found Bianca and she is healthy and back in our care. 

However, we will no longer consider you for a foster or adoption home."

 

To iterate, I have not done anything to void the foster to adopt contract. I informed RAPS immediately on the same day that Freya went missing. Also, for 4 months they never once told me I would lose ownership (only on the day she was found) and RAPS has the ability to cancel the foster program only during the foster period, but no mention about confiscating the pet afterwards. After 4 weeks, she would've been officially adopted by me, & I had even registered her microchip with the BCSPCA and have a valid certificate of ownership until August 2024 that will be renewed on annual basis.

 

First and foremost, your support by signing this petition would help me get 1 step closer to having my baby back. When I lost Freya, I felt I momentarily lost a part of me and was beside myself. On Dec 30th, I felt so relieved upon hearing good news that she was alive, but my hope was instantly dashed when they also told me that somehow I was not only denied the ability to foster/ adopt, but they also banned from ever stepping foot on the property, including the sanctuary that's open to the public. This is unheard of!

 

I've told them time & time again, that I'll install window screens to ensure Freya's safety moving forward, so I don't believe they should be taking such extreme measures. Furthermore, there are other cases similar to mine, where RAPS has confiscated people's foster animals or pets and immediately put them up for adoption without any regard.

In conclusion, I strongly believe in second chances, and this cat deserves to stay with a person who already loves her unconditionally, rather than living in the confines of a cage in a trailer full of noisy animals. After all, I just want her safely returned to me.

Finally, joining this petition will shed light on these ongoing issues and expose RAPS for their lack of compassion. Hopefully we can change their conduct moving forward!

There are far too many animals requiring homes, and without justifiable cause, they shouldn't be separated from qualified pet owners.

 

Thanks for your time and for being a valuable advocate!