Richmond Animal Protection Society facts for kids
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| Founded | 1989 |
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| Type | non-profit charity |
| Focus | No kill animal sheltering, trap-neuter-return |
| Location |
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Area served
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British Columbia |
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Revenue
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$1.2 million in 2013 |
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Employees
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20 full-time, 28 part-time in 2014 |
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Volunteers
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550 |
The Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS) is a special group that helps animals in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. RAPS is a "no-kill" organization. This means they promise to never put an animal down unless it is suffering greatly with no chance of recovery.
RAPS runs the RAPS Cat Sanctuary, which is the biggest cat sanctuary in Canada. They also have a network of foster homes for animals. Plus, they have thrift stores that help raise money and even their own animal hospital.
RAPS started in 1989 as Richmond Homeless Cats. It became a registered non-profit group in 1995. In 2007, its name changed to Richmond Animal Protection Society. Then, in 2017, it became the Regional Animal Protection Society. This new name shows that they help animals across a wider area.
Contents
How RAPS Started
In 1989, Carol Reichert started the Richmond Animal Protection Society. Back then, it was called Richmond Homeless Cats. It was the first group in Richmond to help feral cats. Feral cats are wild cats that live outdoors.
At that time, many feral cats were put down if they ended up in animal shelters. RAPS volunteers started a program called trap–neuter–return. They would humanely trap feral cats, have them spayed or neutered, and then return them to their outdoor homes.
Volunteers also fostered and tamed feral kittens. They found homes for tame cats too. Soon, there were 43 feeding spots for feral cats. These spots were looked after every day in Richmond and south Vancouver.
In 1999, RAPS received a gift of space for a shelter. This place became the cat sanctuary. To help reduce the number of homeless pets, RAPS also helped people with low incomes get their pets spayed or neutered. They also helped owners find lost pets and offered advice for pet behavior problems.
RAPS wanted to stop animals from being needlessly put down. So, in 2006, they tried to take over the city's animal shelter. On February 1, 2007, RAPS began running the City of Richmond animal shelter. They immediately started a "no-kill" policy for all animals. This policy applied no matter the animal's age, health needs, or if it was easy to adopt.
RAPS says that their "no-kill" approach has been very successful. They find safe and loving homes for hundreds of animals. In 2007, Carol Reichert said, "We’ve proved that you can operate without killing." She added that it's more work, but it's very rewarding.
By early 2012, RAPS had run the city shelter for five years. During that time, they helped over 2,000 dogs and 1,800 cats. They also cared for 300 rabbits, 50 farm animals, and 350 small animals like birds and ferrets. They even temporarily housed 1,500 injured wild animals. Carol Reichert retired in April 2014 after 25 years of helping animals.
RAPS' Promise to Animals
RAPS is a "no-kill" animal organization. This means they make a very important promise:
- No animal under their care is ever put down because there isn't enough space.
- They also don't put animals down for treatable illnesses, physical problems, old age, or behavior issues.
Animals in RAPS' care are only put down in very sad situations. This happens when they are in extreme pain and have no chance of getting better. Sometimes, very rarely, a court might order RAPS to put down an animal that has been declared dangerous. This is part of their job helping the City of Richmond.
Helping Pets by Stopping Sales
RAPS worked with the city to stop pet stores from selling rabbits and dogs. This was a big step to help animals.
The sale of rabbits in pet stores was banned on April 1, 2010. A city leader said that banning dog sales too would send a message to "puppy mills." Puppy mills are places where dogs are bred in poor conditions. The ban would also reduce the number of dogs given up to shelters.
RAPS had noticed many dogs were given up after being bought from pet stores. Owners would lose interest once their cute puppies grew up. The rule against selling dogs in pet stores started on April 30, 2011. Pet stores tried to fight the rule in court, but RAPS and the city won.
The Amazing Cat Sanctuary
The RAPS cat sanctuary is a wonderful place for cats. It covers six acres (about 2.4 hectares) of land. Some people have called it "Club Med for cats" because it's so nice!
The sanctuary has two main buildings and twelve smaller ones. There's a special house just for kittens. There are also two houses for cats with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). Another area is set aside for cats with Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV).
The main buildings have enclosed decks. These decks let indoor cats get fresh air and sunshine safely. There are also fenced outdoor yards and cozy cedar cottages. These provide a safe home for over 200 cats who prefer to live outdoors.
In 2014, about 640 cats lived at the sanctuary. Around 100 volunteers help take care of them. A special team of animal care workers watches the cats' health. They are trained to handle and give medicine to even feral cats. They work closely with local veterinarians to ensure all cats are healthy.
The cat sanctuary gets its money from private donations. It also gets money from the sales at the RAPS thrift store.
