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              About Us

              Catspan Society, is a registered Society in BC and a registered charity with Canada Revenue agency.  We help our communities forgotten cats, feral and stray and domestic and help with cat problems in general. All of our fundraising comes from the public in the form of tax deductable donations, we receive no government funding . We are a no kill organization and work with Ally Cat Allies  feral network to find humane methods of cat population controls through spay and neuter programs.


              Please contact us for help, and if you want to help us in our work, please send your tax deductable donation to 1699 acacia road, Nanoose Bay BC  Bay BC V9P 9J9

                     

              Our CRA Tax Number is 811 359 967 RR0001 


              Thank you for your continued support!


              If you wish to start your own catspan cat rescue, contact us and we will assist you.   



              External link opens in new tab or windowPLEASE SUPPORT US BY DONATING HERE










              Important : We are the ONLY Catspan that is a registered non-profit society in BC AND a registered Charity with CRA.  

              Catspan  Society is the local representative of   Ally Cat Allies feral network because we do not euthanize asymptomatic cats on the basis of failed SNAP tests like  most feral cats groups do-and we are a no kill rescue.


              ***250 821 1867***


              CATSPAN

              was formed in 2004. Please see our "The real story of Catspan"


              We are NOT affiliated with the unincorporated residual group calling itself "Catspan Ferals Registered Charity"  that resurfaced after the 2015 dissolution of catspan-but we remain supportive of all efforts to help feral cats. 


              Our group, the original Catspan Society is the legal continuation of the 2004 Catspan. We hope you will continue your support of us and the founding directors of Catspan.


               

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              WHY ARE THERE TWO GROUPS CALLED CATSPAN?


               We are called Catspan Society. We are the original and legal Catspan. We are a non profit registered Society  in BC and a  CRA approved regstered charity. The other group goes by several names, most  recently "catspan ferals registered charity"  who are not a registered non profit in BC and are an unincorporated entity without  provincial government oversight. 


              In the late 1990's a group of Nanoose residents began paying to feed and spay a feral cat colony, and this group was led by our Liv Kennedy who in fact founded the local rescue effort.  In 2004 the group "Catspan" was created. Catspan fed colonies until 2014.


                At that time there became a  deep and unpleasent rift in the Board of Catspan. Our directors wanted to stop the euthanization of asymptomic cats on the basis of an inacurrate failed SNAP tests, and we wanted to cancel the Barn Program that was experiening a 35% loss among relocated feral cats, and  we wanted to support a local business in Parksville. Because of that, one director tried to *unelect* our directors without consent of the membership. This was remarkably unwise, and resulted in backlash by the members who wanted our societies directors  to stay. This resulted in the directors who  tried to remove others of the  Board  resigning in disgrace after the unpopular attempt the unpopular attempt 


               Only one board member did not resign.  That person, ( our current executive director) and the sole remaining Trustee of Catspan- appointed a new board under the Trustee Act of BC  and scheduled an AGM to elect new trustees.  The AGM was held, and the membership voted unanimously to form a registered society, to protect our donors, the public, and to ensure order and structure and transparacy that the unicorporated Catspan lacked. Catspan then officially and legally became "Catspan Society"  that for the first time had enforceable rules that governed the conduct of the group. 


              What we did not forsee, was that  a small residual group ( still unincorporated and would call itself various names)  would reappear sometime later,  and refuse to relinquish all our funds, all our documents, our facilities or our name.  That group is the incarnation now known as " Catspan ferals Registered Charity" .   They change their name every year or two.


              We were left with the unpleasent choice of taking legal action, and we retained a lawyer who confirmed in writing that our Trustee who had not resigned was the legal owner of all Catspan's assets.   We were awarded a court order to examine the financial records.




               



              Catspan Continued

              s




              Ultimately we chose to focus on the need of the community's forgotten cats, and walk away from the many donations our members raised for the beachcomber relocation project.


              The residual group that resurfaced after the 2015 dissolution of Catspan ( now known as "catspan ferals registered charity" )  has placed on their a webiste some statements that imply a negative and false portrayal  of our Society. Contrary to what they say:


              1)  We have the legal right to use the name  " "Catspan"  and the registrar of BC has designated us with that name and so has Revenue Canada.


              2)  The dissolution of catspan is not "recent"  it occured in 2015.


              3)  The membership list is not  "theirs"  it is

              ours. Our directors are the founding members of the group that started in 2004.  Our TNR director began feeding feral cats before 2004 with Liv Kennedy.


              4)  We are not a "splinter group".  Our society is the legal continuation of Catspan when it failed in 2015. ( Please see legal brief below) Our executive director is the only trustee who did not abandon the group or the cats or the public.  She transformed  the group into a registered non profit that had legally enforceable rules unlike the ad hoc unicorporated entity that preceded it.   Our Society did not create confusion as they allege, we are the result of ending confusion.


              5) IT WAS IN FACT  LIV KENNEDY WHO FOUNDED

              CATSPAN, AND OUR  TNR DIRECTOR  PICKED THE NAME IN A DOCUMENTED MEETING PRIOR TO APRIL 2004 ( THE ORIGINAL RECORD IS AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC)



              We made the difficult decision to re register the society with CRA rather than enter a wastful and protracted legal dispute with the residual group. That is the only reason they appear to be registered before us. 


              But now, Members  have the right to see financial records previously held by a select few. They  now have voting rights,  the duties and roles of directors are defined in bylaws recognized by the Province of BC.  Our records are not kept by a select few and are shared with all members under the laws of BC. Elected directors  now cannot be summarily dismissed against the will of the membership.


              We did not wish to have to respond to the behaviour of another group this way, but we feel the public has a right to know the truth. The legal opinion below clearly shows  that our Executive Director Ms Seeley was the sole trustee and legal possessor of all Catspan's assets and lists and funds etc when "Catspan"  dissolved after the Board resigned under pressure from members.  It clearly shows the residual group and their  hasty AGM was illegal and a nullity.


               Ms Seeley is now the Executive Director of Catspan Society



               
               

               






              Copyright 2017 Nanoose Bay Catspan Society


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