A little girl’s love of kittens has turned into a long-time love of charitable giving. This is Grace’s giving story.

At the age of five, my daughter Grace was obsessed with the thought of getting kittens.  She didn’t want just one; she wanted two so they wouldn’t be lonely when she went to school.

Grace would spend all her spare time learning how to care for kittens, playing with stuffed kittens, reading about kittens, or drawing pictures of kittens for hours on end. She would leave notes for me in and around the house demanding, “Two kittens please,” “I need two kittens,” “Can I please have two kittens?”  These notes would be found hidden in our fridge, my makeup bag or purse, her father’s lunch, and our pockets.  When her brother, Morgan was old enough, she enlisted him as a second supporter and the two begged us for two kittens nearly everyday.

Finally, after a year of campaigning, we finally decided to adopt two kittens from an amazing organization called Fixed “Fur” Life, a charity we still love and support today.

Fixed “Fur” Life

In January 2004, Darlene Quinsey and a group friends, family and volunteers established Fixed “Fur” Life, a charity dedicated to ending pet overpopulation through spay and neutering, not euthanization.  The majority of animals taken in by Darlene and the team have been abused, neglected and abandoned, and are cared for and spayed and neutered before they are adopted into a new loving, home.  Since its establishment, Fixed “Fur” Life has supported thousands of animals and has spayed and neutered over 17,629 cats and dogs in the Quinte, Ontario area.

To date all that has been accomplished has been through the dedication of countless volunteers. Families have opened their home and absorbed all the costs related to fostering animals waiting to be adopted, and many adoption centers in the Quinte region have also cared for animals while waiting for a family of their own.  The one and only expense at Fixed “Fur” Life are veterinarian costs which have generously provided their expertise and financial support, allowing the organization to take care of many more animals than they would have been able to on their own.  Without any government funding, it is incredible to witness a community gather together all in an effort to help vulnerable animals in need of assistance.  Each animal cared for by Fixed “Fur” Life is posted on their Facebook and Twitter pages, and my family and I are reminded on a daily basis of where found our two tiny kittens now an important part of our family.

Our Adoption Story

When I contacted Darlene at the start of our search for two new additions to our family, she happened to have two perfect kittens just for us! The kittens were siblings abandoned on the side of the road and were needing to be adopted together.  We knew right away they were the perfect match for Grace, and on her 6^th birthday, Grace was ecstatic to receive two kittens she named Nacho and Steven.  The two have grown into the most lovable, playful and beautiful cats, and are loved by Grace with every fiber in her body. Now at 11 years old, Nacho and Steven are the most precious thing Grace owns and we continue to support Fixed “Fur” Life together as a family.

Strut for Strays

This year our “fur” family is excited to be participating in Fixed “Fur” Life’s annual walkathon and pet festival. The day is jammed with fun-filled pet activities and also raises money to help homeless and abandoned animals in our community.  The day starts with a walkathon and is followed by a gathering in the park with fellow animal lovers and their pets.

After a few weeks collecting pledges for our family to participate in the walkathon, I was inspired to create a fundraising page on CanadaHelps.  I felt it would be a great way to reach friends and family that we don’t see often enough, and it was easy to create a page in a matter of minutes.

Grace and Morgan have also inspired other family members to support Fixed “Fur” Life as well!  At eight years old, Grace collected pennies for a whole year from relatives with her brother Morgan and cousin Alley, and they managed to raise $100.00.  They have even inspired other family members to raise funds and adopt pets of their own from Fixed “Fur” Life!  I am so proud of Grace and Morgan for making a big difference in the lives of vulnerable animals, and we can’t wait to participate in Fixed “Fur” Life’s Strut for Strays event!

In the Belleville area?

Join Fixed “Fur” Life at their Strut for Strays event on Saturday, June 6^th from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  For more information, visit their event webpage >>

To learn more about Fixed “Fur” Life, please visit their charity profile >>

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Updated on November 1, 2024