A Sooke animal welfare organization reports persistent growth in South Island's homeless feline populations despite twelve years of intervention efforts.SAFARS(Sooke Animal Food And Rescue Society),operational since 2012,notes its hundreds of sterilization procedures prevented thousands of kitten births locally.Yet rescue statistics confirm worsening conditions.

SAFARS documented 61 cat rescues in 2013.This figure increased to 69 by 2022,culminating in 87 rescues during 2025—a record high.Volunteers cover South Island and Lake Cowichan regions to capture,rehabilitate,and rehome felines,with all animals securing permanent adoption.Nevertheless,core systemic failures persist according to coordinators.

Escalating operational expenses hinder remote area coverage,abandoning feral colonies to irregular care.Concurrently,SAFARS observes certain groups prioritizing inter-regional cat transfers over local population management.The society further identifies proliferating amateur breeders and commercial"kitten mills"across South Island post-2020.Online kitten sales frequently priced under$100 involve immunocompromised mothers,yielding offspring needing intensive veterinary care.Mounting medical costs now drive the volunteer-operated organization into debt,with members personally covering substantial treatments absent grant funding.

SAFARS intends to engage 2026 municipal candidates across multiple districts,advocating revised animal bylaws and coordinated regional strategies for stray cat management.Leadership emphasizes this crisis transcends rescue capacities,demanding municipal engagement and public consciousness expansion."This transcends rescue operations—it's a community-wide challenge,"stressed society president Margarita Dominguez in an official statement.