Enrichment program for cats get $10K boost from donor
Oshawa Animal Services was the recipient of a $10,000 donation from resident Bimal Ramdoyal. Ramdoyal donated his winnings from an art competition run by PwC Canada. The funds will go towards the service’s cat enrichment program. (Photo by Dave Flaherty)
By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express
Some feline friends looking for homes have received a hand from a local resident.
Oshawa Animal Services was selected as the recipient of a $10,000 donation from local resident Bimal Ramdoyal.
Ramdoyal placed first in PwC Canada’s “The Art of Mining” photography contest and chose the city’s animal shelter as the benefactor.
His photo depicted a stunning display of the northern lights near the Nunavut location of his employer Agnico Eagle Mines.
When determining a recipient worthy of the donation, Ramdoyal says the efforts and values of Oshawa Animal Services align with his own, as he rescued a cat several years ago that he says had a significant impact on his life.
“I developed an affinity toward cats and always felt that animals and shelters don’t receive enough attention, so why not put the donation towards an animal shelter in memory of my cat,” he says.
Ramdoyal also noted that he wanted the money to make an impact in the community he moved to just a year-and-a-half ago.
Animal services supervisor Kathy Pittman-Feltham told The Oshawa Express that the funds will assist an “enrichment program” for cats currently housed at the shelter.
Equipment will be installed on a ‘cat wall’ to provide exercise opportunities and lower stress for the animals.