Surrey sick kittens; BC SPCA warns of buying pets

The BC SPCA says it has received nearly a dozen complaints about sick kittens being sold in Surrey, and now the association is out with a warning for people to be careful when buying pets.

In a release, it says it has received 11 complaints over the last several months and the association believes there may be a specific couple selling the kittens.

It adds that several of the kittens have since died after being purchased, noting that they may not have been vaccinated.

“We’ve received…about 11 complaints in the past year of an individual, a male, predominantly a male, selling kittens. A female is involved as well. And he’s selling these kittens for between $250 and $1,200,” Eileen Drever, senior officer, protection and stakeholder relations, at the BC SPCA said.

Drever says the ads have popped up on different sites like Craigslist and Kijiji, advertising various breeds of cats including Russian Blue and Maine Coons.

“This is not usual for someone to be advertising so many different breeds, and meeting individuals in parking lots. That is why where we want to alert the public. Please stay away from purchasing an animal under these circumstances,” Drever said. 

“The concern is that these kittens, shortly after people are purchasing them, are sick and they have no way of contacting this individual to say that these kittens are sick. We have managed to track this person down, and once the investigation is complete, we will be recommending charges to Crown Counsel.”

The association is warning people to be cautious when buying any animal, pointing to some potential “red flags.”

“We want to warn the public. If someone is advertising animals for sale and they want to meet you in a parking lot, that should raise a red flag — stay away from these individuals,” she said.

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“This is indicative of animals being exploited yet again for an industry that’s unregulated. Anybody can go and breed cats or dogs and sell them for unbelievable amounts of money and people are actually purchasing them.”

Drever says that for people looking to take home a furry friend, there are other options.

“There are so many different adoption options, either through the BC SPCA or other rescues reputable rescues or reputable breeders.”