The Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS) was founded in the 1980s to rescue and re-home stray cats in Richmond.
RAPS now operates one of the largest cat sanctuaries in North America, in addition to the full-service RAPS Animal Hospital.
The sanctuary, located in Richmond, is maintained by a dedicated team of 200 volunteers. It is home to over 500 cats and kittens each year and is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.
The non-profit is supported by donations and social enterprise thrift stores.
Glacier Media spoke to RAPS CEO Eyal Lichtmann, who described the sanctuary as a "pretty magical place" like "Club Med for cats."
Shena Novotny, the cat sanctuary and adoption and education centre manager, explained how the treatment and re-homing of feral cat populations is not only vital for the safety of strays but it protects local bird populations and prevents the spread of infectious diseases to domestic cats.
