Feral Cat Rescue to ask for extension as they secure Melancthon site

September 19, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Michelle Janzen

Sharon Morden, owner of the Feral Cat Rescue, attended a Melancthon Council meeting recently and had the support of Shelburne Mayor Ken Bennington who was in attendance.

Chris Jones, the Planner for Melancthon, conducted a short presentation about the zoning and location of the property, and it was decided that Feral Cat Rescue will need to apply for the property to be rezoned in order for them to conduct their business.

Sharon tells us she then addressed Council explaining what Feral Cat Rescue does and what the property would be used for, also providing them with drawings of the layout of the two portables and outdoor enclosure, which she feels was well received.

A few questions were asked of her such as “Where does your funding come from?”, to which Sharon told them “It comes from the spay/neuter run weekly as well as community donations.”

The best part of the meeting, Sharon tells us, was when one of the Councillors asked, “What is your relationship with the Town of Shelburne?”

Mayor Bennington asked if he could respond, telling Melancthon township, “Feral Cat Rescue is a needed and valuable service and well respected and appreciated.”

He went on to encourage the member of Melancthon Council to allow Feral Cat Rescue to proceed and approve rezoning.

Mayor Bennington also advised Melancthon Council that Shelburne had been well canvassed and a suitable location was not available. In closing, Mayor Bennington encouraged Melancthon Township to make a donation to the Feral Cat Rescue as they have helped the cats in Melancthon in the past and will continuing to help once they are able to relocate.

Bennington then commented that he would be doing the same and will be recommending a donation from the Town of Shelburne at the next Council meeting.

At the end of the meeting, the Mayor of Melancthon strongly encouraged Sharon to file for the rezoning. The cost for this is $1,500. When asked how long the process will take until they are able to break ground and start building, the answer was not until February of 2018.

With that date, Sharon will be attending Shelburne council once again to ask for an extension on the date of the order to Cease and Desist until May of 2018. By then the ground will have thawed enough for the excavating that will be needed in order to place the portables. This would allow the Feral Cat Rescue to continue offering this vital service to Shelburne and the surrounding areas without any interruptions.

To raise the funds needed to get the new shelter up and running, a Go Fund Me campaign was started at www.gofundme.com/krt25-feral-cat-rescue-shelter or you can send donations via E-transfers at info@feralcatrescue if you prefer or don’t have a credit card to donate. The address of the rescue is 141 Second Ave West where there is a mailbox on the wall beside the shelter door by the outdoor enclosure if you would like to drop off a donation by cheque.