In January 2020, a stray, distressed cat was spotted trying to get warm on a sewer grate in west Edmonton in -28° weather. The rescue took two days, but the cat was finally caught and taken to the Edmonton Animal Care and Control Centre.  It was cared for and found to be lost.  After being on the street for three months, it was reunited with its owner.

Our group formed after the incident described above, and a Facebook page was created to organize a response to similar incidents. We wanted to reduce the time it takes to respond to distressed animals and, where possible, prevent cats and other domestic animals from being placed in precarious, life-threatening situations.

We are proud to say that since our inception to February 2026, we have helped over 2,109 cats, provided veterinary care to all, and helped over 1,769 find a furever home. We estimate that more than 95% of these cats were abandoned because they lacked identification and were not spayed or neutered.

Our members have been involved in searches/rescues of not only cats but also dogs, birds and rabbits.

Our members on Facebook have grown to over 22,100 as of February 2026 with a very active core of dedicated and wonderful volunteers who have been involved in building feral cat houses for the winter, taking in distressed animals, raising money and getting them veterinary care, attempting to find their owners and reuniting them, and for some finding forever homes since they were abandoned or never had an owner. 

Our monthly expenses range from $15,000 to $30,000, with over 95% of those costs going to veterinary bills.

In July 2024, we became incorporated as the Edmonton Cold Weather Animal Rescue Society, an Alberta not-for-profit society, with a board of directors and membership. 

In February 2026, our application to CRA for charitable status was approved.