Loving homes for a Loonie: Adopt a cat for one dollar from Winnipeg Humane Society

The Winnipeg Humane Society will adopt out 50 cats for one dollar from January 31 – February 4. The goal of the promotion is to reset the cat population ratio at the shelter so the WHS can begin a new intake and adoption strategy.

Fifty adult cats (older than six months) that have been at the shelter for more than 30 days will have a one-dollar adoption fee. The total $50 raised from these fees will find the cats forever homes while having a compounding impact on incoming cats.

“By finding these cats homes, it’s creating an opportunity for exponential growth in the number of cats we can handle,” says WHS CEO Javier Schwersensky. “It will create the space needed to implement a new strategy that improves a cat’s flow from intake to adoption and reduces length of stay and stress.”

Finding these 50 cats homes will allow the WHS to create a multi-lane approach to give every pet the best chance of finding a home. Based on a variety of characteristics (age, personality, breed, colour, health), incoming cats are now sorted onto “tracks”. This will allow the WHS to quickly find homes for highly adoptable cats, while maintaining and providing care for felines that take longer to find homes.

The strategy is part of the Million Cat Challenge, a North American initiative to save the lives of one million cats by implementing strategies that reduce euthanasia and increase live outcomes for shelter cats.

The promotion applies to cats at the shelter on 45 Hurst Way and all satellite adoption locations. The kennels/rooms of cats available for the promotion will be marked accordingly.

While adoption fees are reduced, the same adoption process occurs. Potential adopters need to bring ID with their current address, proof or residing in pet-friendly housing (if necessary) and a carrier. Everyone who will live with the cat must be present during the adoption process. All cats are up to date on vaccines, spay/neutered and have tattoo ID.