A:  We do not have a shelter, or a location. Friends of Abandoned Pets is a group of volunteers who work together to assist stray and abandoned cats and dogs in the Ottawa area. Our animals are housed in foster homes in and around the city. Some of our dogs are house in boarding kennels if a foster situation isn't available.

A:  Our adoption process starts with a telephone interview with our adoption coordinator. Our cats are not kept in a central facility. We use foster homes enabling the cats to interact with real families. Fostering allows us to learn more about our cats: their personalities, temperament and their compatibility with other cats, children and/or dogs. The next step will be putting you in touch with the foster homes of suitable, appropriate cats.

Our adoption fee is $120.

Our cats are spayed/neutered and vaccinated prior to adoption. In the event a kitten is adopted arlier than 3 months the adoption fee covers its spay/neuter and vaccinations. All cats are also tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV).

A: Dog adoptions are done on a per case basis. We try to match the best dog to the best family.

First we visit the family at home. We ask for two references, preferably one vet and one personal.

Then, if the family agrees to FOAP rules, foster papers are signed. There is a trial period during which the dog still belongs to us and either party can still back out. During this period of roughly a couple of months or so, we cover medical bills and the prospective family covers day-to-day expenses like food. If any concerns come up we try to work it out, but we can remove the dog if we think it isn't a good match. Once everyone is satisfied that this is a match, the family signs the adoption papers and pays the adoption fees.

All of our dogs are vet-checked, immunized and spayed or neutered. We charge $200 for adult dogs over one year and $250 for dogs one year and under.

We always take our dogs back, no questions asked. Please call 613-729-9820, option 1 and leave your number if you would like more information.

A: FOAP's mandate is to help stray and abandoned cats and dogs in the Ottawa area. We do not have the funding the manpower or the capabilities to take on owned animals as well. You may find for a home amongst your family, friends and co-workers. You could also try advertising in the local papers and pet stores. Finally the Ottawa Humane Society and the Gatineau SPCA will take owned pets.

We do not condone leaving cats at a farm or releasing a cat outside - this is very dangerous and cruel.

A:  We do not take in owned animals. As our mandate states we are here to assist stray and abandoned cats and dogs. There are many things that can be done to help a cat who is urinating inappropriately. There are two very helpful articles located under Your Pets' Health, one is titled Solving Feline Housesoiling and the other is titled Inappropriate Urination / Litterbox Avoidance. If you have further questions after reading these articles please contact one of our volunteers who would be happy to give you advice and tips for your situation. Again, FOAP does not take owned animals, but we will try to help solve your problems and recommend veterinarians or products that may help.

A:  Unfortunately we do not have the authority to remove an animal from an abusive situation (as much as we'd like to). You can help this animal by contacting one of the following groups:

The Ontario SPCA: 613-588-4508

SPCA d' Outaouois: 819-243-2004

A:  You can contact our volunteer coordinators by emailing us
information@foap.on.ca

The coordinators would do a short interview to determine what areas you are interested in helping with and then putting you in touch with the appropriate people for those activities. A lot of the events/activities we need volunteers for are one-off events, for example a BBQ or craft sale.

We need volunteers for many things including, but not limited to:

• fostering cats or dogs in your home
• working at our charity bingo session (Fridays from 3-6:30pm, training provided)
• PetsMart adoption days (where we take animals up for adoption in hopes of finding a permanent, loving home)
• Dog Walk committee (our biggest fundraiser, we are always looking for fresh faces and new ideas)
• driving cats and dogs to veterinary appointments
• picking up donated items
• making and selling craft items
• baking for bake sales
• various fundraising/information activities (working a booth, for example)
• telephone work (our volunteers make dozens of calls every single day)

A:  The first step with fostering with FOAP is a telephone interview with Moira, our foster/adoption coordinator.

After a successful interview a volunteer would visit your home to further discuss fostering and to make sure you home is safe, secure and appropriate for fostering one of our cats. Our foster homes supply food, water, shelter, treats, litter and love to our cats. Friends of Abandoned Pets provides the veterinary care and searches for a permanent, loving home for the cat. Fostering is a very rewarding experience as cats often come from the street where they are without regular love, attention, and food. Our foster homes get to see the transformation from frightened cat to loving family member.

They then get to see that cat find a permanent home and start the process all over again.

A:  In the past several years, volunteers manning FOAP's incoming phone line have spoken with several people who do not take their cats to the vets for regular check-ups and vaccinations. When asked why not, the usual answer was that they had indoor cats, and indoor cats do not need shots. At first glance there seems to be a certain amount of common sense in this answer, and it is certainly cheaper on the pocketbook. However, FOAP spoke to a veterinarian and it seems there is a misconception about indoor cats being safe from the diseases that outdoor cats contract.

Some diseases that infect cats can be brought into a home on people's clothing and shoes. The Feline Panleukopenia (distemper) virus is hardy and able to survive for up to a year in the environment. Therefore, even moving to a different house or apartment could put an unvaccinated cat in danger. There is always the possibility that an indoor cat may escape from home and come into contact with sick animals. Every pet should be vaccinated against rabies; even animals kept indoors can be exposed to a rabid bat and, once an animal is infected, the disease is fatal.

If an unvaccinated animal does have to visit the veterinary clinic, it is at higher risk because other sick animals are on the premises. In the long run it is cheaper to have your animal vaccinated than to treat it once it is ill. Taking your pet for its annual shots also ensures that it has a regular check-up. This is vital, as pets cannot communicate that something is wrong with them. They still live by the survival of the fittest rule. Only healthy animals survived in the wild, so animals try to hide illness as long as possible. Although there are no outward signs or symptoms of your pet's illness, it may be quite advanced by the time you notice anything is wrong. Your vet can help prevent this with a regular check-up.

Do your pet a favour, and maybe even yourself, by making sure it has its shots and a regular examination. After all, no one should lose a beloved pet when it can be avoided.

A:  We do not have a list of the fees that are charged by the vets in Ottawa. We suggest you call a few vets in your area and pick the one that is right for you.

Some vets will allow patients to pay on a system, but usually only their regular clientele.

A:  Unfortunately no. Our mandate it to help stray and abandoned animals and as such we do not assist with owned animals.

A:  At times FOAP does receive funding to spay/neuter feral cats through foundation grants, however, we just don't have the resources to do the work involved in trapping, feeding, and caring for these cats. We rely on the people who found them to do this. Almost all of our FOAP volunteers work full time jobs and then do volunteer work such as telephone, email, rescue, etc... in the evenings. If you are willing to spend the time to trap these cats and transport them to the vet we can have them vaccinated, spayed/neutered and then they can be released back to the colony (unless you trapped a young kitten, in which case we would help to place him/her). We can only do this if we have a commitment that they will be fed where they are. We do have humane traps and we can provide these, as well as support and advice.

Caring for a feral cat colony requires a long term commitment and would require dedication. At the beginning there is a lot of trapping to spay/neuter and then once all the colony cats are sterilized it would just be the new arrivals (which does happen, but not often). Please contact us for more information

A:  FOAP does not allow this practice. Giving an animal as a gift is never a good idea. You should discuss your gift with the intended recipient and if they agree to allow you to purchase a pet for them you can agree to pay the adoption fee on their behalf, but we would require an interview to be conducted with the person the animal would live with.