Dozens of cats need help after Calgary owner surrenders them

A Calgary animal rescue society is turning to the public for financial support to care for a large amount of felines that have found their way into its shelters.
The Canadian Animal Task Force (CATF) says this year presented a challenge when a family member of a pet owner reached out for assistance.
An official with the organization says the caller was distraught and "desperate for help," so CATF couldn't ignore them despite the immense financial strain it would cause.
"We couldn't say no in this situation. The cats had nowhere to go, their owner recently passed away, leaving dozens of cats in need of help," said R.J. Bailot, CATF's executive director, in a statement.
CATF says all of the surrendered cats need medical attention, including vaccination and parasite treatments along with spay and neuter procedures. Several of them need more serious interventions such as dental work and medications, the group says.
"We are asking for the community's financial support to help us raise the much-needed funds as an intake this large will have a large impact on our resources," Bailot said. "It is important to us that each animal receives the care they deserve and we will do everything possible to make it happen."
Once all the cats have received appropriate care, CATF will work with partner agencies to ensure each cat is adopted.
As the group is looking for support, a local realtor says she will do her part to help out by creating her own campaign for CATF.
Heather Waddell says she will match donations, dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000 toward what's needed.
Further information about CATF and its mission can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How more than 100 women realized they may have dated, been deceived by the same man
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.

Mother charged with sexual abuse of toddler in Edmonton area after FBI tip
A Strathcona County toddler has been rescued from suspected sexual exploitation, and the child's mother has been charged, police said.
LeBron James becomes NBA's all-time scoring leader, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
LeBron James is the NBA's new career scoring leader. With a stepback jump shot with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, James pushed his career total to 38,388 points on Tuesday night and broke the record that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held for nearly four decades.
Biden in State of Union urges U.S. Congress: 'Finish the job'
U.S. President Joe Biden exhorted Congress Tuesday night to work with him to 'finish the job' of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he delivered a State of the Union address aimed at reassuring a country beset by pessimism and fraught political divisions.
Fears grow for untold numbers buried by Turkiye earthquake as deaths pass 7,700
Rescuers raced against time early Wednesday to pull survivors from the rubble before they succumbed to cold weather two days after an earthquake tore through southern Turkiye and war-ravaged northern Syria. The death toll climbed above 7,700 and was expected to rise further.
Canadian military plane heads home after two surveillance flights over Haiti
A Canadian Armed Forces surveillance plane was heading home on Tuesday after two intelligence-collecting flights over Haiti.
On list of 50 'most Instagrammable' places, only 1 is in Canada
A new ranking by global travel site Big 7 Travel has revealed the most Instagrammable places for people to visit in 2023, but only one Canadian location, Banff, is among them.
Spy balloon part of a broader Chinese military surveillance operation, U.S. intel sources tell CNN
U.S. intelligence officials believe that the recently recovered Chinese spy balloon is part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, according to multiple American officials familiar with the intelligence.
From $55 to $130: Which Canadians plan to spend the most this Valentine's Day?
As Valentine's Day approaches, many Canadians are preparing to celebrate by taking their loved ones to dinner and buying them gifts, but how much are we spending on this day coast to coast?