Our Mission
We promote and foster animal welfare through the provision of our animal sanctuary in Summerland. We provide education and rescue to help end animal suffering throughout the Okanagan.
Celebrating 30 Years
of Bringing People & Animals Together
Cat Sanctuary
Pasture Pals
Thrift Shoppe
We all come from so many different walks of life, but all seem to share the same heart. We all give just that little bit and see the most amazing results and share in the triumph of what happens when a community comes together to rescue animals in desperate need.
Our Sanctuary
We have grown from the initial cat sanctuary to include several additional divisions: Dog House Division, Critteraid Farm, Education, Outreach. We have learned to temper our growth with the number of volunteers who commit to caring for the animals.
Community support is vital to a charity like Critteraid where fundraising is constant in order to provide the necessary means for veterinary costs, operational costs and maintenance costs.
We are proud to be a part of a Board of Directors who take great pride in their fiduciary responsibility while always focusing on the animals in our care. The women and men who volunteer their time and support within Critteraid are amazing individuals who are second to none when it comes to standing tall amidst animal welfare representatives.
We welcome you to join us in our compassion efforts!
Lori Stewart
President, Critteraid
Our History
Critteraid is a place where hope has survived and that is a testament to all that have contributed. It built a solid foundation where people can rescue animals together in harmony to carry on an endeavor that started off as a dream, by the founder and past President Deborah Silk (McBride). With her vision, Critteraid became a safe sanctuary home for thousands of cats that have been abandoned or abused.
Our history is packed with people who have immense passion and compassion for animals that is truly beyond words to describe. The incredible dedication of an army of people within our community has been inspirational We are so thankful to all those in previous years that have graveled the road that we stand on. We are grateful to a beautiful community and all the volunteers that have contributed with sweat, tears and monetary gifts. The foundation they build is one to emulate for the future generations. Thank you to all, you are loved and very appreciated.
Board of Directors
The Critteraid Board of Directors is a working Board. As an animal charity, Critteraid needs the good sense and compassion that is vital to an organization such as ours.
We assure you that the comfort, safety, and well-being of the animals in our care as well as the Volunteers who mind them, is always the primary focus of what we do.
Lori Stewart / President
I came to Critteraid in September 2013. The pressures of the world were all around and I found my time with Skippy and Maya the donkeys’ gave me moments of peace. The magic of Critteraid started showing itself the more I was here.
I decided in 2018 to join the board as the Pasture Director, and in 2019 became the President. Its my absolute pleasure to be here and I am thrilled to be a part of this community. For many of us, we cant find the perfect words to explain the reward in volunteering here. Most of the time it simply feels like such an honor to experience this first hand.
For all the hours I put in, I still go home thinking I got more out of that day than I put in. How unique and extremely special this sanctuary is to me.
Maggie Young / Director at Large
After retiring, Maggie and her husband moved to Penticton in 2016. She started volunteering with Critteraid that winter. She has always had a passion for animals and has been owned by many cats for the last 35 years. Having been a nurse and an airline pilot, she brings many different skill sets to use at Critteraid. She is involved with the medical team and deals with all ordering of medical supplies. This has expanded to include food for the sanctuary. She also helps with maintenance of the house. She lately has taken on doing some of the preliminary bookkeeping so she is the person to talk to regarding donations!
Caroline Ryan / Cat Sanctuary Director
Caroline joined Critteraid in 2018 as a cat cuddler. She very quickly realized that she had found her true passion and spends as much time as her family and work allow at the sanctuary!
Caroline keeps all the paperwork in order for the Cat Sanctuary and between her many foster fails, current fosters, and the animals that call the sanctuary home, she is always surrounded by her beloved furry four-legged friends while doing so. Caroline has a special gift for helping orphaned kittens thrive and loves to watch scared moms and their babies gain confidence and prepare for their furever homes.
Deina Albrecht / Projects Director
I grew up on a hobby farm and have always been surrounded by animals. I started volunteering with Critteraid in 2021 and realized soon there is more to be done than just snuggling the animals that are in our care.
Working in construction, I was called to be the Projects Director for Critteraid. There are always things to be repaired, buildings to be built and maintained, and areas to be improved. Working with the animals and the amazing volunteers at Critteraid is my favourite thing to do!
Gena Locke / Communications Director
Gena has always found animals to be the best of friends, and a source of wonder and admiration.
With some of her favorite reading materials featuring the adventures of country veterinarians, the histories of wild horses, primates, feral cats and the people who learned to communicate with them, it only made sense to find creatures to befriend, and to champion.
For gena, finding Critteraid was like walking into a waking dream.
She can often be found in the cat sanctuary communing with the wonderful felines, and practicing her eye-squint smiles on 4 and 2 legged beings, or else out in the pasture enjoying the company of the goats, pigs, and superior alpacas. Her dream is to one day make the need for rescues almost negligible as promoting education, and kindness towards animals helps people learn to cherish them, and foreground their best care and happiness
Andrea Turner / Director at Large and Pasture Volunteer
Andrea briefly volunteered at Critteraid in 2015. Life drew her away but in 2017, she was back.
She started to volunteer in the cat sanctuary and soon was spending a lot of time loving on, caring for and of course cleaning up after a lot of cats, a lot of the time. But then the magic of ducklings and 2 kid goats wooed her to the pasture about 4 years ago.
She happily spends most of her time nowadays cuddling critters and shoveling what is needed.