Shelter Tour

ENTRANCE:

Welcome to the CARES Shelter! Since December 2003, thanks to the help of the Langley Township and Langley Heritage Society, CARES has occupied this site located in the Milner area of Langley. Originally the front area was open to the outside and the two parts of the building were joined together (front and back) with mesh fencing. Where the front door is now was a gate and the window was fencing. In 2006 CARES received a grant from the Vancouver Foundation which enabled the centre section to be enclosed....much warmer in the winter months! Now come inside and have a look around....

LOBBY:

Once inside, you enter our lobby area where you can sit and visit with fellow volunteers, read stories posted on the walls of some of our memorable residents, or just sit in a chair and have one of the furry residents sit on your lap with you. You will also see a plaque giving tribute to our founder Wilf Longfoot. If it weren't for his efforts, CARES would not be where it is today.

HALLWAY:

From the lobby area, you travel down the hall to our New Arrivals room (on the left) and the Geriatric Ward (at the end). On the right is the shelter hospital / laundry area and washroom.

NEW ARRIVALS:

The new arrivals room is part of the central section of the shelter which until 2006 was formerly "outdoors". Now this bright, spacious room will comfortably house 8 - 10 new cats. Its homelike atmosphere with lots of scratchy posts and hidey houses help the new arrivals adapt to their new life at the shelter. Cats are kept here while they await their vet check to confirm health status and have their vaccines updated before they enter the main shelter. Health is high priority at CARES!

NEW ARRIVALS:

THE GERI WARD

The geriatric ward was also part of the new section created in 2006. This room was formerly an outside run which seldom was used. Now, it houses anywhere from 8 - 10 "oldsters" who will most likely be with us for the remainder of their lives. The room is bright and cheery with two big windows for the cats to watch the goings-on outside. These cats have a wonderful quality of life in their cozy surroundings and they get lots of love from human visitors who love to sit in this room with them!

THE GERI WARD

THE GERI WARD

HOSPITAL:

The only time any CARES cat is in a cage is when it is recovering from illness or surgery, or if it is on display for adoption at the Langley Petsmart Store. In the shelter hospital, not all cats are in cages. Marcie, for example can be found in her bed on top of the dryer or snoozing high up on the top of the laundry shelves. She has no health issues....she's just happier this way! Then there is Daisy who likes to have her bed on top of the refridgerator. Oh yes....and don't forget Laurie.....you will most likely find this 20 year old Calico gal snoozing in her bed on the bottom level of the laundry shelves!

LAUNDRY AREA:

THE MAIN SHELTER:

The main part of the shelter holds 8 runs, 6 of which have kitty doors leading to outside runs. This enables the cats to enjoy a bit of the outdoors in a safe enclosed environment. Every run has cozy beds and scratchy posts for the residents to hang out in. We don't like to overcrowd, so generally each run houses 4 to 5 cats except for the huge main run which can hold anywhere from 24 - 26 cats comfortably. Sometimes cats need to be separated and the shelter has 4 spacious cubbies which are big enough to put a nice bed and scratchy post in......so even a segregated kitty can have all the extra comforts it needs! The shelter has a few radios in various spots playing soft music to keep the cats company while the volunteers are away.

SMALL RUNS:

CUBBY AREA:

LARGE RUN:

LARGE RUN:

LARGE RUN:

LARGE RUN:

OUTSIDE RUNS:

Here are some views of the outside parts of the runs. The cats can enjoy the sun and air from their various scratchy posts and perches.

OUTSIDE RUNS:

OUTSIDE RUNS:

"THE TRAILER":

At the rear of the shelter is the trailer. This two room building has come in very handy for storage and meetings. Its biggest value, however, is when it serves as a quarantine area. Every shelter experiences outbreaks of Upper Respiratory Viruses, and thanks to our trailer, we can quickly transfer infected cats from the main shelter to keep these viruses from sweeping through the shelter. The homelike feeling in the trailer with its cozy couches and scratchy posts helps sick cats to recover from their ailments in a cageless environment. There is even a radio playing soft tunes to help them emotionally!

"THE TRAILER":

"THE TRAILER":