Tuesday April 28, 2020 ~ VICTORIA
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
High-quality care for animals in B.C.’s shelters, BC SPCA facilities, zoos and aquariums will continue during the COVID-19 response, says the BC Ministry of Agriculture today.
That comes in the form of funding being made available to help organizations cover the costs of food and medicine for their animals.
In response to the provincial health officer’s guidance around minimizing and containing the spread of COVID-19, dozens of animal attractions and animal care facilities, including those operated by the BC SPCA, have been closed to the public in B.C. communities.
Facilities have been reporting a dramatic decrease in the donation of food, supplies and volunteers, and have been unable to hold fundraisers that support feeding their animals. Although in Victoria there are two organizations continuing to accept donations of funds for pet food donations, and one of those also continues to accept donations of pet food items.
Emergency funding available:
The Ministry of Agriculture will work with B.C. animal care facility operators to identify instances where emergency funding may be applicable. Funding will be available for animal hygiene, habitat upkeep, veterinarian care, limited transportation and repairs to equipment required to ensure the welfare of the animals in care.
B.C. animal refuges and rehabilitation centres that lack the revenue to ensure animals in their care will not be in distress will also qualify for funding. This will allow their animals to have a stable food supply and any medication they need.
=== LINKS provided by the Ministry of Agriculture:
To inquire about eligibility for funding, email: BRMB.General.Inquiries@gov.bc.ca (mailto:BRMB.General.Inquiries@gov.bc.ca)
For the latest medical
updates, including case counts, prevention, risks and testing, visit: http://www.bccdc.ca/
Or follow @CDCofBC on Twitter.
For the provincial health officer’s orders, notices and guidance, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/phoguidance
For non-health related information, including financial, child care and education supports, travel, transportation and essential service information, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/covid19
Or call 1 888 COVID19 (1 888 268-4319) between 7:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Pacific time), seven days a week.