Category Archives: You Can Make a Difference

Why We Walk for the Kitties

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Oshi’s a tiny kitten with a big heart.

He was born the smallest of his litter and was discovered living outside with his siblings. They were all very thin when they were rescued so the first task was to try and fatten them up. All the kittens quickly transitioned to eating out of bowls, but not Oshi.

Oshi’s development has been much slower than his brothers and sisters. At 10 weeks old, he’s half the size of his brother TJ and until recently he refused to eat on his own. Oshi also has trouble pooping so his foster parents need to keep a close eye on him and sometimes help him out. (This includes giving him a bath on a regular basis!)

If Oshi hadn’t been rescued it’s almost certain he wouldn’t have survived on his own. Kittens like Oshi are just one of the thousands of reasons why we Walk for the Kitties.

Each year, VOKRA rescues more than 1,400 homeless cats and kittens from around the Lower Mainland. Unlike many other animal rescue groups, VOKRA is a volunteer-driven, no-kill organization. Our work is made possible through the generous support of volunteers, adopters and people like you.

Without your support we wouldn’t be able to afford to rescue all these cats and kittens.

Please help us help kitties like Oshi this September 16 by joining us for Walk for the Kitties, presented by FirstMate.

Eventbrite - VOKRA Walk for the Kitties 2018

Walk for the Kitties is our largest fundraising event of the year. This 5k fun walk takes place at Jericho Beach and all funds raised go directly towards supporting our rescue efforts. Learn more here.

Can’t make it on September 16? You can still donate today!

Want more Oshi? You can follow him on Instagram at @DailyDoseOfOshi.

Volunteer of the Month – June 2018

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Glenn CutcheyCan you believe we’re half way through 2018 already?! The days are flying by quickly and summer’s almost here, which means at VOKRA we’ll be busy juggling kittens, cats and fosters as people head off on vacation. But one of the people who never seem to take a vacation is our Volunteer of the Month for June, Glenn Cutchey. Here Glenn tells us in his own words why he volunteers for VOKRA:

 

This is my third year as a volunteer driver for VOKRA. My duties include food and litter deliveries, transporting cats and kittens between the Operations Centre, foster homes and vets, picking up donations and medications, and helping to transport the VOKRA booth to and from special events. Earlier this year I joined the trapping and recovery team after attending co-founder Maria’s trapping course and I’ve also converted a bedroom in my apartment to a foster home for shy and semi-feral kittens after attending co-founder Karen’s cat care course. I’ve just successfully socialized my first batch of three kittens that were trapped earlier this year, finding a forever home for one and the other two went into regular foster care. I made videos of the kittens during their socialization and posted them to YouTube for potential adopters to see and to help educate other people interested in fostering shy and semi-feral kittens. I’m looking forward to working with the next batch and will continue to document the process in hopes it helps other socializers or fosters. Additionally, I’m working on joining the I.T. and database team and the video and photography team. I am always looking for ways to help.

Glennandluci

Glenn with his cat Luci

I’m a veteran and retired computer programmer and I originally joined VOKRA as a meaningful way to keep active and social. I was given a VOKRA flyer, from a friend, 11 years ago when I was wanting a buddy cat for my original resident tabby tom, but I found my Luci and so I didn’t adopt a cat at that time. I did find that flyer again three years ago when I wanted to start volunteering somewhere so I took it as a sign from the universe and applied to volunteer. Since drivers were in most demand, as still is the case today, I eagerly accepted the role and considerate the best use I put my car to.

I really enjoy helping all the wonderful people at VOKRA. I’ve never met such a selfless and caring group of people. From my experience I found many volunteer jobs have a lot of personal politics and attitudes attached to them, but at VOKRA it really is all about the kittens. From the people at Ops to the foster homes, I think everyone is a real hero and am just happy to help them do their good work.

My most memorable experience was early in my driving days, I was sent to recover two semi-feral 10-month-old kittens that became too much for the foster to handle. I was supposed to bring them back to Ops for evaluation, but when I arrived at the foster’s home, they hadn’t managed to get the cats into the carriers so I offered to help. Being new and thinking I had some sort of special talent for communicating with cats, since I’ve had many and they were all wonderful, I thought I could just outsmart them. Was I ever wrong! We got the first one into a carrier but the second one panicked and attacked my hands. My hands got all bit and scratched up and the cat still won. You learn a lot about yourself when you get beaten up by a kitten. From that day forward I always say I am just in training… always in training. Especially now that I have some videos online and people are saying they recognize me from the videos when I introduce myself and they think I am some kind of expert, one lady even called me a cat whisperer, but I just say “no, I’m still in training”

My most moving experience was just this year when I came into the Operations Centre to pick up food and litter for my regular delivery just as four ice cold newborn kittens were rushed in. I just stood in pure awe at the sight of these poor tiny kittens being brought back from the brink of death.

Last year I was at the right place at the right time to rescue a cat in my neighborhood who had been abandoned and was starving and in distress. I called Ops and told them about the situation and they said I could bring the cat in if I could catch it. A few neighbors who were worried about the cat helped me get it into a carrier and I brought it right in. He was so thin and dirty and I thought the cat had given up on itself. The next week I came into Ops and the cat was still there but I hardly recognized him. I even asked if that was the same cat I rescued. He was so clean I asked if they bathed him, but no, he had regained his dignity and cleaned himself up. It was so heartwarming to see him take pride in himself.

Working at VOKRA fulfills my natural desire to help serve my community (a remnant of my military training no doubt). I don’t really have any favorite cats, but my favorite part of my job is coming into Ops and tickling chins. I especially feel honoured when cats tagged with “Caution: Unpredictable” or “Warning: Bites” allow me to give them attention and they don’t live up to their reputation with me.

THANK YOU Glenn for your tireless efforts and dedication to the kitties! Your service is truly appreciated!

As a volunteer-driven non-profit, we clearly couldn’t do what we do without our extremely dedicated and hard working team of volunteers. Thank you to each and every one of you!

VOKRA is always in need of volunteers, especially as we head into the summer months. If you’re interested in volunteering with us visit our website at vokra.ca/volunteer.

Come run with us on June 24!

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On June 24, Team VOKRA will be participating in the Scotiabank Half-Marathon and 5k run/walk and we want you to join us. It might not change your life, but your support will definitely help change the lives of the more than 1,400 kitties we rescue each year.

Kitties like Timmy, a handsome gentleman cat who came to VOKRA way back in 2012 after being rescued from a shelter. Timmy’s diabetic which means he needs a shot of insulin twice a day to stay healthy. It’s very difficult to find someone willing to take on a kitty with health issues, so at some shelters cats like Timmy are often deemed “unadoptable” and end up being euthanized. At VOKRA, they believe every kitty deserves a chance at a happy, healthy life so Timmy will stay with them for as long as it takes for him to find the purrfect forever home.

Whether they’re kittens or adults, feral or tame, healthy or sick – VOKRA provides them all with the best care we can. But this does come at a cost.

You don’t have to be an athlete to join. And few on our team have ever fundraised before either (you only need to commit to raising a minimum of $50). All you need is a love of cats. This love is what unites us as a team and carries us all over the finish line!

It’s super easy to get started. To join Team VOKRA simply click here to register. And, as a bonus, each team member is entitled to a special preferred rate. To get the preferred rate be sure to enter one of the following PIN codes:

Half-Marathon discount code: 18VOKRA21K
5K discount code: 18VOKRA5K

Once you’re registered you’ll receive a link to your personal fundraising page so you can get started right away. And to help ensure you achieve your goal, Team VOKRA will provide you with a motivational emails to help you fundraise. We’ll also invite you to join the Team VOKRA Facebook group so you can connect with your fellow team members. So there’s no excuses! Sign up today and join Team VOKRA!

Be sure to reserve your Team VOKRA spot as soon as possible so you don’t miss out!

Don’t want to run? You can still help when you sponsor Team VOKRA today!

It Takes a Clowder*

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*Clowder = a group or cluster of cats.

When Karen Duncan and Maria Soroski founded VOKRA back in 2000 it was headquartered in the basement of Karen’s Victorian home in Kitsilano. The plan was to care for very young, mostly bottle-fed kittens and, as often happens, things didn’t go according to plan.

Karen & Maria with longtime volunteer Shelley

Back in the day, VOKRA had a “staff” of approximately 10 volunteers and averaged 150 rescues a year. By 2008, that number had increased to 800 cats and kittens and in 2014 that number jumped to more than 1,800. After finding loving homes for thousands of cats and kittens it was about time VOKRA moved out of Karen’s basement and got a new home of its own. So in 2014 we opened our Operations Centre.

Since opening the Operations Centre (a.k.a. Ops), VOKRA has been very lucky to have an amazing amount of truly dedicated volunteers join us and help save the lives of cats and kittens.

Volunteers at our Ops making sure kittens are flea-free

Today, VOKRA currently has more than 400 volunteers working hard either behind the scenes or at Ops. We also have more than 550 foster homes, currently fostering or available to foster.

Just at our Operations Centre alone, there are an average of 168 volunteers a week! Here’s a quick snapshot of what it takes to make Ops tick:

  • Cat Care, Operations Support and Maintenance – 125+ shifts per week.
  • Medical Team – 17 volunteers
  • Reception – 20+ shifts per week

Our Operations Centre is also very busy with a large number of fosters who pick up food/supplies/medications for their foster kitties.

There are also hundreds of VOKRA volunteers “behind the scenes” who make things happen. We currenlty have 261+ volunteers on 48 teams, including:

Our event volunteers are always out in the community

Volunteer Recruitment- Adoption Counsellors – Adoption Contracts – Foster Coordinators – New Foster – Homes Interviewers – Kitty Health Checks – Medical Research – Foster Kitty Vaccination – Cat Behaviourism – Monitoring Health in Foster Care – Post Adoption Health Support – Vet Lab Reports – Fundraising – Events – Volunteer Committee – Communications – Photography – Kitty Biographers – Finance – IT – Database Administration – Foster Website – Trapping – Barn Placement – Drivers – Southlands Barn (where elderly feral cats and disabled kitties live) – and more!!!!

There never seems to be a shortage of cats to rescue

Sometimes it seems like we’re all chasing our tails trying to keep up – we’ve grown in leaps and bounds and, at times, are still going through growing pains. But we’re all here for one thing – the kitties.

Thank you to each and every one of our special volunteers who are a member of the VOKRA clowder. We wouldn’t exist without your dedication and support. Each and every one of you make a difference in the lives of kitties each day.

We’re always looking for new volunteers! If you’re interested in volunteering, visit our website at vokra.ca/volunteer.

You Can Be A Hero Every Month!

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Timmy’s a handsome gentleman cat who came to us way back in 2012 after being rescued from a shelter.

Timmy’s diabetic which means he needs a shot of insulin twice a day to stay healthy. It’s very difficult to find someone willing to take on a kitty with health issues, so at some shelters cats like Timmy are often deemed “unadoptable” and end up being euthanized.

At VOKRA we believe every kitty deserves a chance at a happy, healthy life. Whether they’re kittens or adults, feral or tame, healthy or sick – we provide them all with the best care we can. But this does come at a cost.

If you’d like to help, the easiest way for you to provide steady support for the kitties in our care is by joining our monthly giving program.

By choosing to give a monthly gift to VOKRA, you’re providing consistent, reliable resources to help us handle any situation – whether it’s a kitten needing emergency medical care, a cat requiring insulin or a feral tom in need of a neuter.

One donation a month really adds up to a big difference in the life of a cat. Here’s the lifesaving difference you can make:


Will you help a kitty today by joining our monthly giving program?

Donations are processed automatically on the same day each month which helps you budget monthly and annually. And you can change, pause or stop your donation at any time by simply contacting us.

You can also make a one-time gift when you click here.

Timmy’s patiently waiting for a forever home. If you’re interested, you can learn more about him here. Thank you to Angela McConnell for Timmy’s portraits!

 

Volunteer of the Month – February 2018

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February is the month of love and we have an endless amount of it for our volunteers! This month we’re celebrating Mandy Douglas and her dedication to ensuring newly adopted kitties are insured. Here she tells us in her own words why she volunteers for VOKRA:

I started volunteering with VOKRA in the beginning of 2014. I had some big life changes the year before and decided to finally get involved with an organization I greatly admired. I first heard of VOKRA many years earlier, when my parents and I were feeding a large number of feral cats that started showing up around our house. VOKRA was kind enough to offer us the use of their Trap-Neuter-Return traps and help advise us on how best to catch these cats in order to get them fixed and find them homes. I respected the no-kill aspect and being entirely run by volunteers and knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.

My first few months with VOKRA, I was helping out with administrative work in the very newly opened Operations Centre, but due to an irregular work rotation I was unable to commit to a consistent schedule, so instead I just focused on insurance vouchers. I work from home and register every cat who gets adopted with six weeks free insurance from Pets Plus Us. This process takes place 2-3 times per week, every week, without fail (even on my honeymoon, thanks to my very supportive husband!). Not only does this allow some protection to the adopter during the initial transition of bringing the kitty home, but Pets Plus Us also gives a donation to VOKRA for each registration.  Over the past four years, I’ve logged well over 500 hours and registered nearly 5,000 cats for their insurance!!

My favourite part of volunteering is seeing the “less desirable” cats find their homes – the older cats, ones with behavioural or medical difficulties and even the “superstitious” black cats. It’s always such a happy moment to learn these cats can spend their days being loved and cared for properly.

Monty

I’ve fallen in love with every cat I’ve met at the Ops Centre, but the most memorable ones were Monty and Cinnabar. These were cats who had suffered a lot, some at the hands of humans, but they didn’t let that affect their ability to trust and would allow me (a stranger) to cuddle them and even rub their bellies.  It was always a special moment and these cats served as role models for me and for the way I should conduct my life – not allowing the mistakes/abuse of others to affect my ability to trust or love someone new.

I genuinely love the work I do for VOKRA and I am honoured to be able to contribute to an organization I can be proud of. I look forward to many more years and thousands more cats!

THANK YOU Mandy!!! We’re the ones who are honoured to have you as a volunteer!

As a volunteer-driven non-profit, we clearly couldn’t do what we do without our extremely dedicated and hard working team of volunteers. Thank you to each and every one of you!

If you’re interested in volunteering with us visit our website at vokra.ca/volunteer.

Special Kitten Alert!

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Lt. Dan is one feisty young lady. Yes, we said lady.

She was born with twisted back legs, and with everyone thinking she was a boy. But in true kitten fashion, she doesn’t let any of this slow her down one bit!

Here you get a good look at Lt. Dan’s back legs. But, as you can see, she has no problem hopping up!

Lt. Dan came to VOKRA with her mom and three siblings after they were discovered living in a barn. We immediately noticed the problem with her legs, but it wasn’t immediately apparent she was a girl (even after her first vet check up!). So she was loving dubbed Lt. Dan, from Forest Gump fame, and the name stuck.

Recently, Lt. Dan went back to the vet for a consultation and, low and behold, it was discovered she’s a she! The vet has also determined Dan’s hamstrings are contracted, likely due to the way she was positioned in the womb, and she’d benefit from exercises to stretch her muscles. As she grows, we’ll keep a close eye on her to determine whether acupuncture or surgery will help.

The reality is only 25% of kittens who don’t receive human care survive and Lt. Dan is a purrfect example of a kitten who wouldn’t make it on the streets. Unlike many other animal rescue groups, VOKRA is a no-kill organization. This means we will always provide kittens like Lt. Dan with a chance at a happy life.

Your support today will help pay for the cost of caring for all the special cats and kittens, like Lt. Dan, who come through our doors each year. Including veterinary care, medication, food and litter.

Will you help us today?

This holiday season, please give to help care for kittens like Lt. Dan.

 

 

P.S. – By becoming a monthly donor you can show your support for the kittens all year long! Just $10 pays for one kitten to be vaccinated each month, while $45 pays the monthly cost of feeding a kitten.

A big THANK YOU to @wagntrailsvancity for all these great pics of Lt. Dan!