story and photos Mia Sutherland
Sixteen years ago, Vik’s Rescue began as a dog rescue. With $163 dollars, Vicky rescued her first animal—a hunter way cross named Jed. Her first rescue kitten was Sammie, he was found almost lifeless in a garden in Rissington. “I was put on this planet to rescue animals, simple as that,” she says smiling. Vicky has had a passion for caring for animals since she was a youngster, and Vik’s Rescue embodies that enormous love of helping animals. Vicky said she has this rule “they fight, I fight for them.” In the beginning, she would take money from her own pocket to pay for all the food and medicine for the rescued cats and kittens. Now by public donations she can source and feed all the rescued felines.
Vicky runs regular adoption days, where prospective owners can book an hour to meet the kittens and cats and decide which one is suitable for them. She posts the dates on her Facebook page @ViksRescue. With her trusty mascot—and best friend—Louie by her side, Vicky chooses her adoption families carefully. She wants to make sure each animal is going to a suitable home.
Even with seven cats of her own, and many rescue cats in her care, Vicky was still able to help trap displaced cats after Cyclone Gabrielle. Overnight she turned Vik’s Rescue into an emergency shelter for lost and sick felines, keeping them safe until they were able to be reunited with their families. During her help to find a lost cat in a flood affected area, Vicky discovered another cat who had been missing for almost two years!
Vicky’s work is incredible, but if she could give one piece of advice to people it would be how important it is to have your animals desexed. This would make a huge difference in the number of unexpected and often unwanted offspring.
What is Vicky’s dream? To have a business sponsor enabling her to not worry where the next pallet load of cat food is coming from, but as she says, “If everyone gave just $1 a week, that would pay for everything and wouldn’t that be amazing?”
If you are an individual or business that would like to help Vik’s Rescue, please contact Vik’s Rescue on Facebook, or donate directly to her vet account at Clive Cottage Vets.
