Saskatoon cat rescue raises $30,000 in ‘Spite for Strays’

A Saskatoon cat rescue has raised more than $30,000 in less than a week through a matching-gift campaign called “Spite for Strays,” and it still needs about $60,000 to reopen its doors to new animals, its president said.

Ashlyn Weninger, president of SOS Prairie Rescue, said an anonymous supporter who came into money during a divorce offered to match donations up to $10,000. The donor said the gift would be a good way to help rescue cats while irritating her ex-husband, Weninger said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

The $10,000 goal was reached in under 72 hours, according to Weninger. CTV News Saskatoon reported that the combined target, with the donor’s match, was $20,000. Weninger said she wrote a lighthearted social media post last Thursday night and the story had spread around the world by the next morning.

Gifts have come from across Canada and the United States, and from the United Kingdom, Croatia and Sweden, she said. The campaign runs until Dec. 1.

The money matters for a volunteer-run charity that had more than $500,000 in veterinary costs last year. Weninger said the rescue closed its intake a few weeks ago to catch up on its 2026 vet bills, and that about $60,000 is needed before it can take in cats again. The $30,000 raised so far is roughly half of that figure.

“Being able to raise such a large amount in such a short amount of time is a huge relief,” Weninger said.

She said the rescue plans to wrap up the campaign with some surprises and may share a few words from the donor. The donor has asked to remain anonymous, and neither the donor’s identity nor the match has been independently confirmed beyond the rescue’s own account.

Donations can be made through SOS Prairie Rescue’s fundraising page. More Saskatoon news is in our report on the city’s property tax survey and our weekly Saskatoon road closures and traffic delays list.

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