VOKRA in the media and online
Below you'll find some of the coverage VOKRA has received in the media, locally and beyond.
Kenny Pawgers is a national hit!
Maria Soroski got home late one night from a Kenny Rogers concert. Her phone rang almost as soon as she sat down -- the stray alley cat was back, and Maria climbed into her van to track him down.
The VOKRA volunteer blog that started it all:The Gambler
The Montreal Gazette:Grizzly, scraggly-haired kitty hopes tale will sway voters and he did! Kenny Pawgers' story won $2000 that will go towards his vet bills
Life on the Vancouver streets was rough for brown and white cat Kenny Pawgers.
The rough-and-tumble old-timer drank from dirty puddles, sneaked into homes through patio doors and stole catnaps on lawn chairs, all the while nursing a golf-ball-sized tumour in his stomach.
Despite his affectionate nature and sporting eyes that could melt the most hardened of hearts, no one wanted the scraggly-haired cat with gnarled teeth.
That is, until Maria Soroski showed up.
Following a plea from concerned neighbours, the director of the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association rescued the cat — and gave him his name — on her way home from a Kenny Rogers concert.
You could say she just dropped in to see what condition his condition was in.
Now, Kenny is the only Canadian contestant in the running with 10 other pets — five dogs, three cats and two rabbits — for a $2,000 prize from the U.S.-based Animal Rescue Site's most heartwarming story contest.
While Kenny sports the same grizzled look and grey hair as his namesake, his health isn't as strong as the 76-year-old Grammy-winning singer.
He has only four teeth, two of them rotten, and recent surgery to remove his tumour cost VOKRA roughly $2,000.
"We call him The Gambler," Soroski said. "His whole rescue has sort of been a gamble."
Soroski is now gambling on Kenny's story winning the online contest that will pay off the surgery costs and help VOKRA spay and neuter more stray and feral cats.
Since Kenny's surgery, he's been eating only boiled chicken and goat's milk, and cuddling while staring doe-eyed at visitors.
"A lot of people have come over to say hello to him," Soroski said. "He just lies in your arms and gazes into your eyes."
The Province:Deal is done for Kenny Pawgers as he wins ‘heartwarming’ prize thanks to his fans
Kenny Pawgers, the geriatric feline with rotten teeth and an heartwarming story, has won $2,000 for Vancouver’s orphan-kitten rescue group after Province readers helped catapult him into the No. 1 spot of an online contest.
It’s only right that Kenny’s story topped the online poll: $2,000 is exactly what the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association needed to pay off the rescued cat’s veterinary bills.
“We want to thank all the fans of Kenny and VOKRA for voting for him,” director Maria Soroski said Monday. “We’re very pleased that, being a no-kill organization, people were able to support us.”
On Monday, Kenny’s story won the Animal Rescue Site’s “Heartwarming Story Contest” with nearly one-third of votes cast. He shot into first place a day after The Province highlighted his story.
It all started earlier this fall when Kenny, a friendly stray with a penchant for sneaking into East Vancouver apartments, was visited by Soroski, who was returning home from a Kenny Rogers concert.
In the words of the jaded gambler from his namesake’s famous tune, this alley cat knew when to walk away, and knew when to run.
Wisely, he chose to stay put.
After undergoing surgery to remove a golf-ball-sized tumour from his stomach, the cat moved into Soroski’s home, where he now munches on boiled chicken and goat’s milk due to his sorry lack of teeth.
He’ll move to a foster home soon, but won’t be available for adoption for some time.
“We still don’t know how he’ll recover,” Soroski said, “and he may be facing more medical bills. If someone can’t afford that we don’t want to compromise his health.”
Two animal organizations that were runners-up in the contest — those representing an eight-year-old mutt that charmed a retired couple and a pair of abandoned rabbits — have also won $2,000 apiece.
VOKRA helps Bubbles the skunk in the West End
In August 2011, a skunk was spotted in the West End with a bubble tea lid constricting her neck.
Bubbles, as she was later dubbed, eluded captors until November 2011.
VOKRA volunteer Shirley captured Bubbles, and the skunk received life-saving surgery at the Wildlife Rescue Assocation of B.C.
Bubbles and VOKRA made the news. See some of the stories below.
Global TV:Vancouver skunk continues to elude rescuers
A two-hour standoff on Monday night did not result in the desired outcome, but a dedicated group of Vancouver West End residents are determined to save 'Bubbles' the skunk, no matter what.
Global first reported on this skunk last week, and it appears the spry critter has had a plastic cup lid stuck around its neck since it was young.
A dedicated group of residents, led by Drina Read, are working hard to save the skunk, and almost accomplished the job last night, but Bubbles got away.
"I had just gotten home from work, and I ran out," said Read after receiving the call Bubbles had been sighted.
That call came from two volunteers with the Vancouver Orphaned Kitten Rescue Association, (VOKRA), who were out looking for an emaciated kitten in need of help, according to a press release.
They spotted Bubbles at Gordon Neighbourhood House at Nelson and Broughton Streets, and recognized him from the recent media attention as it appeared he was trying to scrape the lid off its neck by rubbing it on the ground.
By the time Read and a group of rescuers arrived they managed to track Bubbles to to Barclay Heritage Square at Nicola and Barclay, and then called the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. as the skunk will need medical attention.
Two hours later the terrified creature eluded capture, but his guardian angels are not giving up.
“We vow to go out every night until we can save him,” said rescuer Tracy Dundass. “We love animals and we are not afraid to help this animal in distress.”
"That was only our second attempt at going out," added Read. "We're very committed."
“We are thankful that the VOKRA volunteers called us right away,” she continued. “We saw the kitten the night before when we were searching for the skunk in the same general area, so we should be able to help locate both animals to save each of them from starvation or worse.”
Bubbles, who is named so because he makes Read think of Bubble Tea due to his sprightly personality, needs medical attention, and if anyone sees the critter they are asked to call Read at 604-331-1532, Tracy Dundass at 604-802-2254 or Jude Torchuk at 604-916-4344 or contact Read by e-mail at drinaread@yahoo.ca
Do not try and pick him up or feed him.
If anyone sees the small white cat with grey spots and a tabby black-and-white striped tail, contact Shirley Haun with the Vancouver Orphaned Kitten Rescue at 604-619-7019 or by e-mail at santafe@telus.net
The Province:Bubbles the skunk caught in drink lids undergoes surgery
A West End skunk facing death because of a discarded drink lid wrapped around her neck has been trapped and undergone surgery.
Given the name of "Bubbles" to reflect the plastic-dome lid type used in bubble tea, the female skunk was trapped by volunteers from the Vancouver Orphaned Kitten Rescue Association and then taken to the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. facility in Burnaby.
Bubbles no longer had her plastic collar but wildlife association spokeswoman Yolanda Brooks said removing the grass, blood and debris from the half-inch wound around her neck took about two hours.
Bubbles is in isolation but will eventually be moved to an outdoor enclosure before being released in six to eight weeks.
The skunk’s plight was first noticed in August but the situation became dire as the creature grew and the lid became ever tighter. She evaded capture attempts sparked by West End resident Drina Read, who put up posters of the collared creature.
A kitten rescue volunteer said Bubbles was tracked down using motion sensor cameras commonly used by hunters. Once her regular haunt was found, she was caught with a trap loaded with garbage. Fresh food was tried, but had proved unappetizing.
The rescue worker, identifed only as “Shirley” said she was prepared to be sprayed after covering the trap in blankets, but escaped without retaliation.
“It smelled as fresh as a daisy,” said Shirley of the blankets. “We were shocked,”
Shirley, an animal lover had no hesitation in taking on the rescue. “I don’t know how to turn my back on an animal in distress. I don’t know how anybody can. The message I wish people would get is ‘It’s not difficult.’
“Everybody needs to get involved [in proper animal care].”
Donations can be made to the organizations involved in Bubbles’ rescue at www.wildliferescue.ca, www.orphankittenrescue.com or at www.crittercarewildlife.org.
Global TV:Bubbles the skunk caught in drink lid undergoes surgery
National Post:Vancouver skunk undergoes surgery after wandering for months with bubble tea lid around neck
UPDATE:Wildlife Rescue Association Facebook page
The Province:Pet of the week
VOKRA adoptees in The Province, 2011.
The Province:Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Group Needs Help
A Vancouver-based animal rescue organization overwhelmed with abandoned kittens is in dire need of funds and foster families.
The Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association, founded in 2000, rescues 1,300 cats annually, racking up more than $30,000 in vet bills.
“The medical expense is enormous,” said co-founder Maria Soroski at the organization’s Walk for the Kitties festival and walkathon at Jericho Beach Sunday.
“It’s expensive to spay and neuter cats. A lot of them have been on the streets and they’re starved or sick and come with injuries.”
The non-profit, which has been hit hard by recent gaming grant cuts, raised $30,000 last year and hopes to raise a similar amount this year.
The group does not operate a shelter. Instead, it places abandoned or orphaned cats with foster families across Metro Vancouver until they are well enough to be put up for adoption.
Currently, it has more than 350 cats on its roster, but only 100 foster families, forcing many temporary caregivers to double or triple up.
It also operates a trap, neuter and release program, where feral cats too old to be domesticated are humanely trapped and neutered to ensure they stop reproducing uncontrollably in the wild. They are then released back to where they were found.
The organization expanded to Burnaby in 2006 and to Surrey two years ago.
Donna Lorimer, who has been fostering kittens for 11 years, can only shake her head at the irresponsibility of pet owners who don’t spay or neuter their cats and abandon them or their offspring.
Two months ago, she took in two abandoned kittens, barely two weeks old, found mewling in a brown paper bag in a Yaletown dumpster. The kittens, christened Maggie and Morgan, have since recovered and are ready to be adopted.
In a separate case, three dehydrated and flea-infested kittens were found late July in a garbage bin at Nanaimo’s Departure Bay ferry terminal; one had to be euthanized due to its injuries.
“People get desperate and they try to get rid of them, but throwing them out is not acceptable,” said Lorimer. “They’re not disposable.”
It costs about $130 to spay or neuter a cat. The B.C. SPCA Vancouver animal hospital offers free or low-cost services for low-income pet owners.
To adopt or donate, go to vokra.ca. The organization charges $175 for kitten adoptions and $125 for adult cats. @font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Sectio
News 1130:Loving homes needed for more than 200 cats
They're cute and fuzzy, and they really need a home. The Vancouver Orphan Kitten Association is dealing with way more cats than this time last year.
President Karen Duncan says they rescued more than 200 cats last month. "We got in 45 cats and kittens from one home where they had gotten out of control."
Others were kittens from homeless cats or they had been abandoned.
Some of Duncan's volunteers rescued two kittens from a bag in a dumpster in Yaletown, their eyes hadn't opened yet and they had to be bottle fed.
She says some of the kittens and cats still need to be nursed back to good health, but most are friendly, cuddly, and looking for a good home with a lot of overdue love.
Duncan explains owners need to be responsible enough to learn about getting their pet spayed or neutered, and get it done as soon as possible.
Burnaby Now:Burnaby cats part of 200 looking for homes
So far in 2011, Burnaby has seen 55 cats being rescued by a Vancouver group, but that number may be even bigger due to a recent 100-cat and kitten situation.
The Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association (VOKRA) saved more than 100 cats and kittens across the Lower Mainland in one week.
The rescued furry creatures are now in the care of VOKRA, which has been overwhelmed by the sudden influx of rescues and it's seeking foster homes, adopters and donations.
The group also traps, neuters and releases (TNR) an average of 50 cats per year and rescues an average of 25 mom cats with 100 kittens. The TNR program has been running in Burnaby for the past five years.
"One of our projects was a TNR of a feral cat colony near Metrotown about eight years ago, which had reduced the rat population, but those cats have since died from old age, and the rat population is growing again," said Maria Soroski, TNR program coordinator.
There are only 18 foster homes in Burnaby and the group is hoping for more applications from potential foster families.
"VOKRA had made a presentation to the mayor and council about a year and a half ago requesting funding to maintain and expand the TNR program in Burnaby, and we would be happy to start discussions to help the animal populations in Burnaby," she added.
The association is seeking financial support from the public to take care of these cats and kittens, and upgrade their health so they're adoption ready.
"In one day, we took about 40 surrendered cats from a single home, including five mothers with kittens and two other litters without moms," Karen Duncan, VOKRA's president, said in a press release. "We know kitten season starts in spring every year, but we weren't prepared for all these cats right now. They are an enormous strain on our already limited resources, and we urgently need donations to pay their vet bills. We also need suitable foster homes and adopters."
VOKRA took in 208 cats this June, which is a 24 per cent increase from last year.
Many of the rescued four-legged animals are kittens, pregnant cats and nursing mothers with kittens.
"We recognize the tremendous support we have received from the community in the past," Duncan added. "Unfortunately, there were many cat situations in the Lower Mainland that got out of hand at the same time, and now we need extra help to alleviate the problem."
The rescued cats' health gets assessed, while many are already past due for being spayed or neutered. Some have serious illnesses or medical problems that run bills into the hundreds of dollars.
VOKRA's mandate is to take care of cats and kittens that were abandoned, surrendered from home or trapped from feral colonies in Burnaby, Vancouver, Surrey and White Rock.
To make a donation, become a foster or adopter, visit www.vokra.ca.
News 1130:Cat rescued from the rubble of a house fire in Burnaby
It was a very lucky Christmas Eve for a cat rescued from the rubble of last week's house fire in Burnaby.
Maria Soroski with the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue says other animals in the affected house weren't so fortunate.
"A little black female named Suzy, and we were able to capture her today. She was living in the rubble of the house, so a really good Christmas for Suzy this year."
She says the owner of the cat can't have her back, so Suzy is now up for adoption.
Go to www.orphankittenrescue.com for details.
Vancouver Courier: Kittens and cats up for adoption
This holiday season, think of the kittens. Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association needs help to continue its work rescuing hundreds of abandoned kittens and cats in Vancouver and Burnaby.
VOKRA president Karen Duncan says all animal rescue organizations are stunned by how enormous the need has been this year. She notes there were many more cats abandoned and dumped on the street this year, many that were young and pregnant.
VOKRA is a volunteer-run, non-profit charity that works to reduce uncontrolled breeding in feral cat colonies. You can help VOKRA this Christmas season by making a donation, purchasing calendars, T-shirts or bracelets or by becoming a sponsor. For more information, go to vokra.ca.
“Kitten massage video goes viral” coverage
In June 2010, one of our fosters uploaded a video on YouTube -- the now-famous kitten massage video. In September, it went "viral" and was seen on hundreds of websites worldwide, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
In December, Vancouver media picked up the story.
CBC Radio: Kitten massage
CBC online: 'Kitten massage' video goes viral
Vancouver Sun online: Kitten massage video goes viral on YouTube
Vancouver Sun Puppy Love Blog: Massage loving kittens go viral on YouTube
The Province:Cat birth-control group captures elusive East Vancouver marmot
The lure of sweet, sticky, fresh peanut butter was just too much for the hungry East Van Marmot.
It’s pungent aroma lured the critter from his recent concrete jungle home into an animal rescue trap and now he is awaiting transportation to a more natural environment.
His rescue is all thanks to Maria Soroski and her colleagues at the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association, which captures, spays or neuters feral cats, and then releases them.
“We got the elusive Vancouver marmot that you have been writing stories about,” said Soroski, explaining that he was caught near Hebb and Renfrew streets.
“Really there is not much grass there, it is mostly concrete. (One of the Association’s volunteers) noticed what she thought was a great big gopher, the size of a cat, so she called me and said: ‘What shall I do? He is eating out of my hand.’
“I got there and sure enough it was the elusive East Van Marmot.”
Soroski came with traps and a large jar of Jif peanut butter, apparently a favourite treat for the rodent most commonly found living in steppes, meadows and other open areas away from humans.
The Vancouver Island marmot is Canada’s most endangered species with a wild population of less than 90. It has a distinctive white nose, which the marmot in Vancouver does not have.
“He went in right away into the trap,” Soroski said, adding that she had already called the SPCA to confirm that she should try to catch the critter.
The SPCA picked him up and took him to the Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic, where he was checked for injuries.
Soroski said the marmot was doing well, although he was extremely hungry.
He has since been transferred to the Wildlife Rescue Association, which has been in touch with the Ministry of Environment -- the organization in charge of releasing animals back into the wild.
Marmots that turn up in urban areas have likely caught rides on transport trailers, then end up stranded.
See the Marmot on You Tube.
Metro News:Kitten rescue threatened with shutdown
After nearly a decade in the kitten-saving business Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue (VOKRA) may be forced to close its doors after amassing more than $35,000 in veterinary bills.
“We’re going to be forced to shut down,” said Maria Soroski, co-founder of VOKRA. “Donations have been down all year.”
Founded in early 2001, VOKRA has placed thousands of abandoned and orphaned kittens into foster homes throughout the Lower Mainland.
This year alone the group has rescued more than 1,000 felines. The group also helps spay and neuter the kittens of 50 to 60 low-income families every year.
“We do it because there are just so many cats out there it just breaks our heart,” she said.
The charity also relied for the last three years on money willed to them that has recently run out.
While Soroski admits a sluggish economy has also been a factor in their troubles, two large, unanticipated rescues earlier this year hit their group hard.
Karen Duncan, co-founder of VOKRA with Soroski, admits the group may have over-extended themselves this past year.
“We expanded into Surrey from just Vancouver and Burnaby,” said Duncan. “Surrey is a very big problem and I realize now I just can’t take on that city by myself.”
The Westender:Kitten rescue program in jeopardy
Beguiling as their rhinestone-studded collars may be, the luxuries enjoyed by the manicured dogs of Yaletown do not speak for the lived experience of Vancouver’s entire pet population.
Cats, in particular, are often turned out onto the streets after their owners decide to abandon them, keeping the volunteer-run Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue (VOKRA) in high demand.
In 2009, VOKRA rescued 1,371 cats and kittens in Metro Vancouver, marking a spike in service that has left the organization with little funding to continue the program into the New Year.
VOKRA president and co-founder Karen Duncan says the services provided by the non-profit, non-government-funded organization have run entirely on donations in its nine years of operation.
Duncan made VOKRA’s first public request for donations in December; as a result, she and her VOKRA colleagues have been able to pay some of the veterinary bills accrued from rescue efforts of the past year.
Nevertheless, food currently costs the organization $750 per week, and demand for VOKRA’s humane trap-neuter-release program has reached record highs in the Vancouver area.
Over the past year, VOKRA volunteers saw a particularly high number of pet owners abandoning their cats due to financial problems or an inability to find pet-friendly housing. Duncan says the problem is worst in low-income neighbourhoods and areas with a high number of renters.
“These cats are there [on the streets] because of humans,” she says. “[And there] still is the problem of people not fixing their cats.”
As part of her efforts to safeguard VOKRA against future financial difficulty, Duncan plans to strengthen her advocacy efforts with municipal governments this year.
“It’s something that municipalities need to really think about,” she says. “By just supporting the cost of the spays and neuters in their area, they can help us.”
In the meantime, VOKRA will continue to humanely remove breeding, feral cats from the streets, and shelter kittens until they are ready for adoption. VOKRA’s humane trap-neuter-release program helps keep feral cat colonies down.
“People are so grateful to us when we come out and trap these cats,” she says. “It’s just heartbreaking. I get calls constantly with people crying and they don’t know what to do.”
Last month, Vancouver comedian and performer Morgan Brayton helped raise $765 in a bake-a-thon that she and her wife Michele held in an effort to help VOKRA.
“They save the lives of over a thousand cats a year. What would happen to those animals if VOKRA didn’t help them?” Brayton says. “It’s very sad that people can’t afford to keep or take care of their pets due to financial issues, but it’s disgusting the way some people treat animals with such disregard, leaving them in apartments when they move out, dumping them in garbage bins.”
Brayton and her wife recently adopted their first VOKRA kitten, a three-month-old they named Billy P. Brayton.
“His mother was dropped off at VOKRA, pregnant and sickly,” Brayton says. “She gave birth to six kittens but died from distemper soon after. Three of her kittens died, too. The amazing staff at Killarney Animal Hospital bottle-fed the kittens and cared for them around the clock. When we took Billy in after adopting him, they were so surprised and delighted. They said they never thought the remaining kittens would live.”
Brayton praises VOKRA for its trap-neuter-release program, an alternative to the traditional practice of trapping and euthanizing feral cats.
“VOKRA’s more humane approach helps control the feral population as well as improve the lives of strays, and helps find homes for adoptable kittens and cats.”
While Brayton often hears people say animal-welfare advocacy is “a waste” in comparison to other human-rights issues, she begs to differ.
“Do people really think there is such a finite supply of compassion in the world?” she says. “Personally, I don’t trust people who don’t care about the suffering of animals, especially when most of that suffering is caused by supposedly more evolved humans."
CTV News: Animal rescue overwhelmed with orphan kittens
The holidays are a time of year when many people give to the less fortunate, and one group is hoping that generosity will extend to animals in need -- specifically, orphaned kittens.
The Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue is in dire straits this year after receiving an unprecedented number of homeless cats.
"It's a really sad situation that humans have caused," said group president Karen Duncan.
In the average year, the group claims to take in around 800 cats. But more and more people are leaving their pets behind when they move, Duncan said, straining the group's finances.
The group is not a shelter, instead relying on 150 volunteer foster families to provide care for orphaned and abandoned cats.
With limited families available, however, much of the kitten rescue's operation involves trapping stray cats, spaying them and letting them back into the wild. It's an expensive process that has racked up $50,000 in veterinary bills for the organization.
The group is trying to get funding from civic governments, and Duncan says there's still hope.
"We're not going anywhere, we're holding," she said. "But we just said, 'We can't take on anymore situations until we get our vet bills paid off.'"
For more information on the group, or to make a donation, visit www.orphankittenrescue.com.
