Halifax Cat Rescue Society

Who We Are

We are volunteers who care deeply about cats

Halifax Cat Rescue Society (HCRS) is a registered charity in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Established in 2011, HCRS is a group of fiercely dedicated volunteers determined to eliminate the feline overpopulation problem through a compassionate and humane rescue, vetting, and rehabilitation process. We also work hard to educate the public on the plight of these animals, and to improve the rights and protection of cats.

HCRS also works with feral cats to vet them and return them to managed colonies where they are provided with shelter, daily food and water. As the health of the colony is paramount, these managed colonies are monitored by volunteers on an ongoing basis.

We are a network, not a shelter

HCRS is not a shelter; we are not a fixed location. We are located all over Halifax, Nova Scotia in the form of rescuers, foster homes, and fundraising volunteers who are dedicated to helping abandoned cats in our city. It takes much more organizing and planning to take a cat into our network because of this. Our network of foster homes shrinks and expands throughout the year and this affects how many cats we can rescue.

How our rescue works

When a cat is rescued by HCRS, it is taken in for vetting, which includes spay or neuter, testing for feline diseases like Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukemia, and treatment for parasites, including fleas, ticks, ear mites and worms. Any other injuries or apparent health issues are also treated. At this point, our volunteers will search lost and found sites and Facebook pages to see if the cat is owned. If not, cats are then transferred to approved foster homes who will care for the recuperating cat while we add him/her to the website and other media outlets for adoption. In cases of semi-feral or unsocialized cats, more specialized foster homes are used that are experienced with socializing kittens and cats to ready them for adoption.