Cat population is on the rise in Riverton and local resident, Crysalis Halpin, is motivated to reduce the probability of adding more litters to the problem.
A cat spay and neuter clinic will be held starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in the Riverton Community Hall and it will be completely free for Riverton residents.
After initiating a petition earlier this fall advocating for a solution to be put forward to reduce cat population numbers, Halpin attended the Oct. 8 Bifrost-Riverton council meeting as a call for help.
“There’s a lot of stray cats in Riverton and one day my daughter and I found one on the street. My daughter was so upset that we couldn’t keep it as she wanted to give it another home,” Halpin explained. While she also wanted to care for the cat, she already had pets at home and couldn’t afford to care for another one. “Instead of being upset, I wanted to teach my daughter you can take something upsetting and turn it into something possible so I knew something needed to be done in Riverton,” she added.
Fortunately, the cat ended up being lost and they were able to find the owners but not every cat found on the streets has a happy ending.
Halpin proposed that a low-cost spay and neuter clinic be held within the municipality as well as an eventual trap, neuter and return (TNR) program be created.
“A lot of people take cats in, but they don’t have the means to pay full price for veterinary care and to spay or neuter them. I am glad people are wanting to take care of the cats, but we need to be able to properly control their reproduction.”
Prior to approaching council, Bifrost-Riverton by-law 9(5) states: “A female cat in heat shall be confined to the premises of the owner or a person having control of the cat, or shall be housed in a licensed kennel, for the period of time that the cat is in heat.” This by-law can be effective at helping limit litters amongst cats with homes, but doesn’t have much impact on the strays.
Halpin spoke with several animal control organizations asking for advice on what could be done in Riverton. They kept telling her bringing up the problem to the municipality is step one.
After delegating with council, they voted in favour of hosting a free spay and neuter clinic for Riverton residents, 100 per cent funded by the municipality.
Chief administrative officer Larissa Love said the clinic is expected to cost between $4,000 to $5,000 and will cover the cost of a spay or neuter, two vaccines and tattoo installment for thirty cats. The municipality has set up an ongoing clinic fund in which donations will help pay for their first and future clinics. Donations over $25 will be provided with a tax receipt and donations can be made at the municipal office by cash, cheque or debit card.
“In theory, a cat can give birth to 280 kittens over her lifetime,” Love added. “For a stray cat management program to be a success it requires the support of the community. To address the issue of stray cats, the municipality is willing to implement a comprehensive approach but this includes community involvement, effective animal control measures, and long-term solutions for stray animals.”
She acknowledged managing cat populations is a multi-angle approach requiring collaboration between government agencies, animal welfare organizations and the community.
“Before considering being a pet owner please consider the expenses. Many owners may choose to surrender their pets to shelters or leave them on the streets, but poor management of animal populations –– such as unspayed cats –– can lead to a rapid increase in stray numbers.”
Halpin is thrilled about the municipalities response to this matter and feels she is has already made immense progress since she began tackling the issue.
“I am very excited that something good has actually come out of this. It goes to show that if you see a problem in your community and you are able to talk to someone about it, a positive solution can come out of it,” she said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.”
Their first clinic will be on a first-come-first-serve basis and residents need to bring proof of address to show they are a Riverton resident and an animal carrier. While the clinic is free, donations are being accepted and any funds received will be used to cover the costs of future clinics. Halpin is hoping to make the clinic an annual event and come the spring she would like to begin addressing the stray cat population with a potential TNR program.
“I am just happy to be able to get the word out and advocate for cats in our community,” she added.
For more information regarding Riverton’s clinic, please email Halpin at crysalis27@icloud.com.
A spay and neuter clinic will take place on Jan. 3, 2026 starting at 9 a.m. in the Riverton Community Hall, free for Riverton residents. The clinic was inspired by local resident, Crysalis Halpin, after finding a stray cat (pictured) in the area, and being unable to care for it.
