Fixing Our Felines spaghetti and meatball dinner Saturday
LITTLE CURRENT—There are few ways to support a good cause that are tastier than the upcoming Fixing Our Felines spaghetti and meatball dinner run by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 177 in Little Current this Saturday, April 13.
“This is the first time the Legion is doing this for Fixing Our Felines. I believe they’ve done it for Rainbow Rescue (another pet rescue group on Manitoulin) before,” said Colleen Caselton, one of the founders of Fixing Our Felines.
The group started in 2013 when Ms. Caselton, Mallory Harasym, Marguerite Peltier and Joan Wood came together to deal with the large amount of stray cats in Manitowaning.
“We saw some passed away on the road and got tired of seeing that,” said Ms. Caselton. “We decided to help get them fixed and help them get adopted. That’s why we started.”
She said the township had its priorities focused on other animal problems so stray cats weren’t receiving the attention they needed.
“They think dogs are the only problem. They hired a dogcatcher, but they don’t believe cats are an issue so that’s why we had to step up,” she said.
Each cat costs the group roughly $450 to $500 from the time it’s brought into the organization to when it receives its new home. The adoption fee for cats is $225 per female, meaning the group absorbs approximately half the cost of treating the animal. They find homes for approximately 50 cats per year.
The bills to cover this work add up rapidly so Fixing Our Felines’ fundraising efforts are an ongoing priority. They run monthly bake sales through the warmer months to help recover their costs and receive donations from community members as well.
“Debbie Menard (of the Little Current Legion) adopted an older calico from us near the beginning of the year. She also gave us a generous donation and, since she’s a member of the Legion, she was talking to the women there and they decided to do a fundraiser for us,” said Ms. Caselton.
This weekend’s event is expected to be a no-frills offering that focuses on taste above all.
“We aren’t going to have any entertainment, just a really good meal of spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread, coffee and tea,” said Ms. Caselton.
The Legion has requested donations to help cover the costs of the food. Admission to the dinner costs $15, with proceeds going to Fixing Our Felines.
“We really appreciate the women at the Legion for doing this for us, and all our supporters, too,” said Ms. Caselton.
