About Us
Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders (GVAC rescue) was founded in 1973 and since then has
been a trusted leader in animal rescue in the Greater Victoria area. Through the support
of our community, we provide compassionate care and find loving homes for hundreds
of companion animals every year. We believe every animal deserves a voice.
We continue to be operated entirely by dedicated and loyal volunteers. Whether you foster,
volunteer, adopt, or donate, you play a vital role in helping vulnerable animals find
safety, comfort, and a second chance.
GVAC is a non-profit registered charity (CRA # 1189 46888 RR0001), and we provide tax
receipts for monetary donations.
What We Do:
* Provide veterinary care, food and safe foster homes for strays, rescues and
owner surrendered pets.
* Spay and Neuter the animals that come into our care to help control the animal population.
* Find safe and loving forever homes for animals in our care.
* Assist low-income families with sterilization of their pets.
* Provide sanctuary for special needs and senior cats from other organizations, shelters or
owner surrenders.
* Provide ongoing comfort care for special needs animals.
* Provide palliative/hospice care for sick or senior animals.
* Assist families with euthanasia costs for their pets to ease animal suffering.
* Provide around-the-clock care for orphaned newborn kittens and bunnies (bottle
babies).
* Provide veterinary care and sterilization for feral cats as well as tame and
rehome feral kittens when possible.
* OOPS Program: Designed for owned pets who have already fallen pregnant.
This program is a chance for owners to surrender all of the kittens to us so that
we can vaccinate, sterilize and find them homes. We also pay for mama to get
spayed once the babies are weaned.
* Provide funding for care of feral cat colonies in Greater Victoria
* Fundraise to raise money for our rescue efforts.
* Network with other rescues (it takes a village).
*The GVAC sanctuary provides welcome volunteer and life skills opportunities for a variety of volunteers including several groups of special needs adults from various community services.
* GVAC is primarily a cat and small animal rescue (bunnies, guineas pigs, pocket
pets and more), but we also help dogs when we have fosters available.
Our Team
Tracey
Vice President, GVAC House Caretaker, Adoption Coordinator
My children and I started volunteering as Cat Cuddlers at Pet Smart for GVAC Rescue when we moved to Victoria in 2007. It was a great opportunity for them to have something that they felt responsibility for and that got them out helping in the community. We also were new to town and liked the opportunity to meet new people in a way that was close to our hearts (caring for animals). I have always loved animals.
In the fall of 2012, I got to see what GVAC Rescue does for “those cats left behind” in a very personal way. My family and I rescued 9 cats from a hoarder’s property in Metchosin. GVAC Rescue paid for the vet bills for each and every one of them and helped us to find good homes for them all. I was hooked, and joined the board very shortly afterwards. I love my volunteer job and can’t imagine my life without it now.
Vicki
President and Volunteer/Community Inclusion Coordinator
When I discovered GVAC, I knew instantly that this group was very special, and I signed up to volunteer as a cat cuddler.
A few months later I unexpectedly had to say good bye to my best cat-friend Georgie, and although devastated, I found that spending time with the variety of sweet personalities at GVAC was not only good for them, but also healing for me…and before I knew it I had been chosen by a wonderful little soul named Rocky to become his new cat mom!
I was so impressed by GVAC’s philosophy, ethics and loving approach to rescuing, caring for, placing, and helping it’s animals that I knew without a doubt that I needed to be much more involved in every way possible to assist this fantastic organization! So when the opportunity arose to join the Board, I jumped at it. I look forward to many years of contributing to the continued successes of GVAC, and of course I wouldn’t give up my cat cuddling for the world.
Katelyn
Foster and Co-Fundraising Coordinator
I started out volunteering at PetSmart and the GVAC House in 2016 just after GVAC bought the House. As a student who had just moved away from home for school and was for the first time in life without any of my pets, volunteering with GVAC was the highlight of my week.
While volunteering at the House I got to meet all of the amazing animals that didn’t quite fit in a conventional home setting. They thrive at the House and are able to take the time they need to get comfortable and find their place. The House is a safe landing place for a number of animals and a long term home for others. I started out helping with the bunnies since I had two of my own at home and then eventually joined the board in 2019 as the Foster Coordinator. Now that I am in the position to do so, I often have a few fosters in my home. This position has introduced me to so many fellow animal lovers through fostering. I love the opportunity to change animals lives and be a small part of their journey to their forever home.
Jessie
Treasurer and Co-Fundraising Coordinator
In 2006, after years of living with roommates, I moved into my very own home. As I started this new chapter in my life, I knew that it wouldn’t feel like home without a pet. I decided that I wanted to adopt a cat that “no one wanted”. You know, you read those posts or see videos online about animals that have lived at the pound for years that no one wants to adopt. I wanted to help one of those cats. My co-worker at the time introduced me to GVAC and they had a courtesy post on their website for a cat named Rayne. She technically wasn’t a GVAC cat as she was at the Victoria Pound, but GVAC was doing what they could to help her find a home. Rayne had been adopted twice and returned both times because she would hide and had been living at the pound for over a year. The minute I heard her story, I knew I had found my cat. I re-named her Kitty and promised her the first day I adopted her that I would never give up on her. It took some time (and even some sleepless nights listening to her cry for no reason), but I eventually earned Kitty’s trust and she blossomed into the best cat that I ever had. A few years later I reconnected with GVAC and began volunteering as a cat foster. I love giving cats a safe place in my home filled with warmth and love while they await their “furever homes”. After over a decade of fostering, I decided that it was time for me to do more to support GVAC so I joined the board. I share GVAC’s passion for helping animals and look forward to helping them making a difference for animals in the future.
Sara
Supplies Coordinator
Izzy
Member at Large