Pet-ty philanthropy: Spite-fuelled fundraiser draws global donations

For a Saskatoon cat rescue, three ingredients have led to a fundraiser drawing support from across the globe this month: “$10,000, a wicked sense of humour and a level of post-marital pettiness we can only aspire to.”

Ashlyn Weninger, president of SOS Prairie Rescue, said a supporter of the rescue reached out to donate to the rescue and initiate a fundraising campaign after coming into some money during her divorce.

“Spending it on the rescue cats would irritate her husband,” Weninger said the woman told her. She offered the opportunity to match donations to the rescue up to $10,000 over the next month or so.

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The campaign was dubbed “Spite for Strays.”

Weninger wrote a cheeky Facebook post to share the news online and just a day later, the news began to circulate worldwide. She said they’ve had donations and comments come in from Sweden, the United Kingdom, Croatia and “just about every state in the U.S., including the North Pole.”

She said it’s “really incredible” to see how far the post has spread, with a little humour.

“Spite for good just really resonated with people,” Weninger said.

The rescue’s president said they surpassed their goal within the first 72 hours of making the post, but are continuing to collect donations under the campaign until the end of December before wrapping it up in some way.

“Quite a few people are invested in the story,” she shared, referencing the hundreds of humorous comments that have been coming in alongside the donations.

One commenter, Weninger noted, wrote about the “legion of spiteful ex-wives” they have the U.S., who will want an update on the campaign.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Weninger said.

“You don’t really expect that kind of response or that kind of attention to (a) post, especially just where we are here in the prairies in Saskatoon.”

Weninger said it has been “touching” to see the outpouring of love for the rescue.

“It’s really special to see how many people just, a little humour and, you know, a positive take on a crappy situation,” she said.

Last year, the organization spent more than half a million dollars on vet costs. A few weeks ago, the rescue closed its intakes to be able to catch up on its 2026 veterinary expenses.

A cat that was cared for by SOS Prairie Rescue. (SOS Prairie Rescue/Facebook)

“We’ve had quite a few big, big expensive cases throughout this year. We’ve already helped over 500 cats again this year. We usually do close to 1000, so we haven’t been able to say yes as much as we would have liked,” Weninger explained, adding that nearly all the cats they help in a year are typically also adopted.

She said the boost of these recent donations “alleviates a lot of pressure” from herself and their board members.

As of Monday afternoon, Weninger said the rescue had raised nearly three times the original matching donation amount. The fundraiser will continue to run through November and Weninger said foster families and continued local support are always needed and welcome.

To satiate donors that are smitten with the story behind their recent fundraiser, Weninger said SOS Prairie Rescue will continue sharing updates and teased an exclusive interview to come from their anonymous donor online in the coming days.