Cat seen locked out on Burnaby balcony ‘for months’ now in care, BC SPCA says

A cat that generated a lot of social media attention recently is now in care, the BC SPCA confirmed.

The cat first came to the attention of neighbours in the Burnaby building on Hazel Street, who said the cat had been locked on a balcony, in the elements, for about three months and they could hear its distressing meows.

Neighbours told Global News that the BC SPCA did come to the building once, but advised they could not proceed because they were not able to connect with the building’s management.

Neighbours said they also contacted the concierge and the building manager about the cat and posted about the issue on social media.

In a statement to Global News, Thomas McGreer, vice-president of AWM Alliance Real Estate Group, which manages the building, confirmed that efforts to deal with the issue are ongoing.

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“Regrettably, our office staff are becoming the subject of verbal abuse by concerned neighbours calling in, presumably due to the social media posting,” McGreer said.

“We appreciate and share the concerns expressed over the well-being of the animal, but we are unable to discuss or comment on the situation outside of the Strata Corporation and its governing body. We hope all concerned individuals will understand this.”

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Kaila Wolf, senior director of media and internal communications with the BC SPCA, said an investigation was launched with the animal protection team and attention to the cat’s plight has ramped up in the past 48 hours due to the social media attention.

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“At this time, we can confirm that the cat that was in question, the cat that was on the patio, is in care, although not in BC SPCA care,” she said.

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“The cat did not need to come into our care. It is no longer on the patio; it is no longer on the balcony. Our animal protection officers were able to confirm that that cat is healthy, as it stands, physically appears to be just fine, and we will be following up on the care of that animal as well.”

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Wolf said she cannot provide any details about where the cat is now. She wanted to assure everyone that the cat is in care and not in distress and the animal protection team’s job includes following up with the owners or guardians and making sure they have access to resources and information.

She said it could also lead to the seizure of that animal.

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However, Wolf said it is important to remember they are not a government-funded body.

“There are some very prescribed steps and rules within the (animal protection) legislation on how the BC SPCA animal protection team is able to investigate those situations of potential cruelty,” she said.

“One of those things, of course, is that we are not permitted to search for evidence or remove animals from a situation without a search warrant, unless the animal is in clear, immediate distress.”

Wolf said in a case involving private property, they need the cooperation of a building manager, an owner, or, in this case, the police.

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There is no information, at this time, where the cat’s owners are or why the cat was seemingly left on the balcony to begin with.