(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Ian Gustafson

Campaign Launch

Sask. SPCA campaign aims to help pets throughout winter

Nov 7, 2019 | 2:38 PM

The Saskatchewan SPCA has launched the Warming Hearts and Paws campaign.

The campaign, which takes part between Nov. 4 to Dec. 15, is to help people who are homeless take care of their pets in Prince Albert, Saskatoon, and North Battleford.

According to a media release, the Saskatchewan SPCA executed an emergency pet care collection blitz in Saskatoon last February working with businesses and communities to provide items such as jackets and food to pets in need.

“We were very much overwhelmed by the amount of donations that came in and how quickly the donations came in,” Josh Hourie, community relations coordinator for the Saskatchewan SPCA told paNOW. “This year we wanted to do more to help more people in our community and in this case, community being Saskatchewan.”

They are asking people to donate new or gently used pet care items such as winter coats and boots for dogs, pet beds, and dog or cat food. In Prince Albert people can donate at the Prince Albert Food Bank, PetSmart and the Prince Albert Pet Wellness Centre. In North Battleford people can visit the Battlefords Humane Society to donate any items.

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“Both organizations were very eager to join us and help as much as they could as well,” he said. “We knew that the impact it was having on Saskatoon was so positive and we were able to help so many people that it just made sense to try and do more to help others.”

Anyone who is in need can visit one of the three distribution centres in their community.

“As the Saskatchewan SPCA we are a provincial organization and our focus is to help the people of Saskatchewan,” Hourie said. “So, getting outside of the city of Saskatoon is important to us and this is just one way we are able to make sure we are serving the people we aim to.”

Hourie mentioned what started all of this was a story they heard come out of Montreal last year about a man and his dog who were seeking shelter. Unfortunately, pets were not allowed in most shelters and he decided to sleep outside with his pet where it froze to death.

The SPCA has also made it possible for anyone to donate money to the cause on their website, which will be used to purchase additional pet care accessories.

“We could always use more so this is just an opportunity to be able to do that,” he said.

They have also a pet friendly warm up shelter at the Prince Albert Food Bank. He said it is a pilot project and they hope to expand it more across the province.

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Ian.gustafson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @iangustafson12