Senior with kitten still looking for a new home

Despite an outpouring of public support, a Calgary senior who decided her cat was worth homelessness is still searching for new housing.

Louise Slade, 75, received an eviction notice from her independent living facility last month for going against its rules to get a tiny, orange kitten named Samantha.

“I desperately need a place to live but I would really love to see the rules changed for everybody in the province,” Slade told the Herald Thursday. “I’d like to see them put a law in that they cannot refuse you to have a pet.”

Slade has to move out of the Bow Centre Housing Society in Bowness by Oct. 1.

Though Slade says she’s grateful for the public’s response to her story, including offers from strangers to take Samantha in or pay for her care, she says she just needs an affordable home.

When Slade first moved in, she was allowed to bring the dog she had at the time.

However, the housing society’s board of directors changed the rules in June 2013. Pets already there were allowed to stay, but no new animals would be allowed. Despite this, Slade wanted a new pet when her dog died.

Slade says even if the rule was to be changed, she’d still want to move out. She says she’s now receiving backlash from other residents.

Terry Buckley, who lives in the building, also says the controversy surrounding Slade’s situation is causing conflict.

Buckley says she thinks criticism of the housing society’s staff, particularly administrator Donna Bennington, is unfair.

“Donna’s just doing what she’s got to do because the board is her boss and she has to do what they say,” Buckley said.

Buckley says Bennington has received hateful calls from people as far away as Wyoming.

“I couldn’t believe the names they were calling her,” she said.

Buckley, a former dog owner, says the no pets rule is justified. She says many tenants didn’t clean up after their animals or control them properly.

Meanwhile, Slade continues her search for housing.

“I don’t want to give Samantha up,” Slade said. “She’s so much fun. She’s been just on the go now for several hours, she just flies around this place. And she’s getting so attached, she doesn’t want me leaving her. I’ll go out and as soon as I get back, all I have to say is ‘ Samantha!’ and she comes flying out from wherever she is.”