Local business owner teams up with Okanagan Humane Society to save Rutland kittens

A local business owner has become the quick-thinking hero to a small litter of kittens.

Behind an unnamed store in Rutland Oct. 3, a businessperson was keeping a keen eye on three tiny strays when they discovered that their mother had abandoned them in the quickly dropping temperatures.

By taking quick action to capture all three kittens and urgently calling the Okanagan Humane Society, they were able to get the kittens onto the road of recovery. It was discovered that they were barely clinging to life due to starvation and dehydration.

“We got a call late Friday from a desperate business owner who has been caring for this colony for some time and had noticed the tiny kittens,” says Romany Runnalls, Executive Director of the society. “She watched closely, concerned about their condition and knew she had to act fast to give them a chance at life. Her compassion and quick thinking made all the difference. As the temperature drops in October, additional food sources diminishes for stray, feral and abandoned cats and kittens and there is an increased risk of predation.”

“They were captured and scooped up one at a time while being carefully coached through the rescue process to quickly rescue as many as possible taking care not to orphan any in the process,” says Runnalls.

The kittens were rushed to an OHS partnered veterinarian and received life-saving medical treatment and supplemental nourishment. This local hero’s swift intervention has truly changed the fate of Kelowna’s smallest, furry residents.

These kittens are now gathering their strength while being attended to by a local foster until they’re ready for their forever home.

However, this is not the same fate every stray in the Okanagan meets. There are dozens of cat colonies across the region and the Okanagan Humane Society currently estimates many may have as few as twenty-five cats and others have upwards of fifty in a single area.

“Working with the community and rescue volunteers we capture the cats/kittens to ensure they receive medical attention. Some animals are placed into our Adoption Program, some are placed onto orchards or vineyards through our Farm Cat program and those that are not socialized enough to do either will be sterilized, vaccinated, dewormed, receive ID and placed back where they have been able to survive with basic needs for the duration of their lives,” says Runnalls.

These three kittens were specifically part of what the community calls the “Leathead Colony,” which comprises around ten square blocks around Rutland. This is where feral cats continue to populate as they struggle to survive among the region’s local businesses, as they have for several years now. Compassionate employees and business owners do what they can to feed, water, and shelter the cats outside, but sometimes it isn’t enough.

“Kittens must come out of there, and adult cats have to be fixed and vaccinated to remain healthy and keep the population from exploding again”, says Runnalls. “In the first two years working in this colony, (the society) rescued over 400 cats and kittens, spayed or neutered and rehomed all that could be tamed. Truly feral adults were released back after their vetting.”

Okanagan Humane Society is one of the only rescue organizations doing this work by working directly with the larger community and business members to accomplish this rescue work.

“Rescue of community animals is a big part of the work we do with only a couple of small rescues in the Okanagan supporting this work with us,” mentions Runnalls.

Their organization focuses on spaying and neutering, vaccinating, deworming, and IDing the cat population to improve the overall health and safety of community animals and pets. They accomplish this from Osoyoos to Shuswap with a group of dedicated volunteers,

“All items were donated by the generous community so 100% of proceeds go to the animals and you can also make a monetary donation for tax receipt as well,” says Runnalls.

They’re currently hosting an auction to raise funds to keep their fight alive, for kittens just like the three recently saved in Rutland. You can browse the auction and support their cause here.

We covered more of this organization’s history in our recent article here.

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Jenna Streety

Jenna has a history in project management with a marketing firm in California and a passion for engaging storytelling. She bridges the gap between traditional journalism and the fast-paced online ecosystem. When she's not grabbing the latest content at events around the Okanagan, you can find her at the nearest bookstore or writing her latest fiction novel.  Jenna joined us in July 2025 and can be reached at (250) 808-0143.