The story of one impossibly tiny kitten’s will to survive touched the hearts of animal lovers across the province. In August, barely a day old, he was found with his two siblings in a scrap yard in Kelowna. The three kittens were gathered up by their finder who was working at the scrapyard and rushed to an animal hospital where they received emergency care.
Sadly, one of the kitten’s siblings was in critical distress when they arrived at the hospital and had to be humanely euthanized. Despite extensive efforts to stabilize her condition, the other sibling’s health continued to deteriorate and she was humanely euthanized. But this little kitten, named Apollo by his foster because of his strength, would not just survive, he would thrive.
“This story celebrates the resiliency of this tiny kitten but also the incredible efforts of BC SPCA foster volunteers,” says Shannon Paille, manager, BC SPCA Kelowna. “The amazing foster spent countless nights waking up every couple of hours to bottle feed Apollo and give him the care a young kitten would normally get from his mother. He is the healthy kitten he is today because of her efforts and the compassionate person who found him.”
The happiest of holiday news – Apollo has been adopted by the person who found him and helped saved his life! He will be spending the holidays in his forever home.
Other memorable stories from across the province in 2025 were:
Cariboo and North
The pictures were difficult to look at. In November, a tethered four-year-old golden retriever mix, now named Birdie, was rescued by a BC SPCA animal protection officer from a remote property west of Prince George.
Birdie’s thick fur hid a serious and painful injury she had been enduring. The heavy chain including parts of the carabiner being used to tether Birdie was partially embedded in the skin of her neck. Birdie would require emergency surgery.
“Birdie stole the hearts of everyone who met her,” says Jennifer Coghill, animal care specialist, BC SPCA Quesnel. “After all that she had been through, she was so friendly, even right after her surgery. She just wanted to be loved.”
It didn’t take long for this sweetheart to make an impression. “A BC SPCA volunteer heard Birdie’s story and travelled from Vancouver Island to the BC SPCA Shuswap in Salmon Arm to meet her and bring her home,” says Coghill. “We are so grateful to have already received some pictures of Birdie in her forever home, and she looks so happy. What a difference a few weeks made in the life of this dog!”
Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley
In April, an emaciated pit bull, English bulldog mix was found by a compassionate jogger during their run near McNair Secondary School in Richmond. The dog was skin and bones. After waiting to see if an owner was nearby, and finding no one, the jogger was able to get the dog into his car and bring him to the BC SPCA Richmond. Arnie, as he was named by animal centre staff, was placed with a BC SPCA foster and began several months of care including a veterinarian supervised re-feeding plan to help him gain weight.
Arnie was adopted in July and will be spending his first holidays with his forever family playing with his toys, cuddling, and being loved.
Vancouver Island, Gulf Island and Sunshine Coast
It happened in early December, right before the holidays. Thirty-two cats in plastic containers taped shut were left at the gates of the BC SPCA Sunshine Coast at approximately 9 a.m. They were discovered just twenty minutes later by staff who were working in the back of the animal centre at the time they were dropped off. Sadly, one of the cats was found deceased.
This unprecedented number of animals abandoned at an animal centre required the centre to close and the creative efforts of staff to make temporary homes for the cats while they continued to care for the 50 animals already being housed. Fifteen of the cats were transferred to the BC SPCA Surrey.
Animal lovers across the province showed incredible compassion for these animals and recognized the extraordinary efforts of BC SPCA staff at the Sunshine Coast centre. Some of the cats are currently available for adoption, waiting to find their forever home.
Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC)
In June and July of 2024, two unrelated river otter pups were found in the Greater Victoria area by members of the public after losing their mothers. They were brought to the BC SPCA’s Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC) in Metchosin where they received care for nearly a year before being released to the wild.
The pups were so young when they arrived, they required bottle-feeding with a specialized otter formula four times a day. To prevent the otters from bonding with their caregivers, and associating humans with food and safety, Wild ARC staff wore gowns, gloves, boots, masks, and full-face visors. The pups would bond with each other, playing and learning how to feed themselves while exploring their specially designed enclosure with enrichment opportunities to help the pups maintain their wild instincts.
The pups remained at Wild ARC during the colder months to safely practice hunting and build essential survival skills in a controlled environment. In April of 2025 wildlife rehabilitators at Wild ARC diligently identified a release location within suitable habitat that would provide ample access to the resources the otters would need to thrive in the wild. “It was so rewarding to see both otters confidently swim off to explore their new home un the wild,” says Ashley Currie, manager of BC SPCA’s Wild ARC. “This is why we do what we do.”
Wild ARC is the only wildlife rehabilitation facility on southern Vancouver Island and treats more than 2,000 wild animals a year.