It鈥檚 still preliminary numbers, but an annual animal fundraising gala this weekend brought in about $90,000 to $95,000 to help 91原创鈥檚 homeless, abandoned, and neglected pets.
It鈥檚 鈥渟ome serious coin鈥� raised for the (LAPS), with money collected at the 10th annual Furry Tail Endings gala at Cascades on Saturday night.
鈥淚t was an amazing night. I think people really enjoyed the event,鈥� said executive director Jayne Nelson, giddy in part due to lack of sleep plus her heightened sense of delight at the night鈥檚 success.
鈥淭he people who come out to support us have such generous hearts,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are so grateful鈥� Together we can make a difference for needy animals in 91原创.鈥�
The money is earmarked for a number of LAPS programs and initiatives, including helping to outfit the new ISOasis cat isolation centre currently under construction at the site.
鈥淲alt Disney said 鈥楩irst think, second dream, third believe, and finally dare,鈥� and I think that perfectly sums up our ISOasis journey,鈥� Nelson said of the centre that has been three years in the making.
It is a dedicated cat intake and isolation facility that is being built next to the main Patti Dale Animals shelter on 56th Avenue in 91原创. All the construction costs have been covered, now, but some of the gala funds will help buy furnishings and equipment necessary for the facility.
The goal of the ISOasis centre is to provide extra capacity for cats, provide proper dedicated isolation facilities thus reducing the spread of disease, Nelson said.
鈥淭here isn鈥檛 another facility like this in Canada,鈥� she added, noting it is scheduled for completion by Christmas. 鈥淭his building was truly built with love. Only by all of us coming together were we able to make this dream a reality.鈥�
.
In honour of Major
In addition to the money raised during Saturday鈥檚 fundraiser, Nelson was also excited to reveal a $25,000 donation towards a new legacy fund aimed at ensuring veterinary care to pets that belong to 91原创鈥檚 homeless.
Elizabeth Smith conceived of the idea for the fund after losing a dog she adopted through LAPS.
His name was Major, and the fund will bear his name.
In early spring of 2013 one of LAPS animal control officers, Tina Jensen-Fogt, picked up a very handsome Doberman pinscher.
He was wearing an electronic bark collar. He had bald spots and a lesion under the contact points of the collar, an eye infection, a skin infection and a noticeably swollen hock joint on his right hind leg.
鈥淏ut he had a microchip, so we had every reason to think he would go home. We tracked Major鈥檚 microchip to the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), where he was registered as Roulettes Major Back Up,鈥� Nelson recounted.
He had one brother and three sisters, and was born Dec. 26, 2008.
鈥淲hat we didn鈥檛 find was contact information for his owner. After some excellent sleuthing, five dead-end phone numbers later, we knew he would be staying with us,鈥� she said.
Major was taken to a local veterinarian who treated his skin and eyes. X-rays also showed he had an old untreated, poorly healed trauma to his right hind leg.
鈥淲e were able to treat the skin and eye infection, but there was nothing we could do to repair his leg. We knew we would have to find an special person who would be able manage any pain he experienced in that leg as he got older,鈥� said Nelson, who noted that once he began treatment, Major was made available for adoption.
One of the adoption counsellors knew Smith, who was a LAPS volunteer, was looking to adopt a dog. A meeting was set up between Smith and Major.
鈥淎s we had hoped it was love at first sight! 鈥淣elson recalled. 鈥淓lizabeth was a great student during her mandatory training sessions with Major, before taking him home鈥� and even brought a three-course meal [maybe to bribe the adoptions counsellor] for Amy at every session.鈥�
This year Major died of congestive heart failure.
鈥淓lizabeth was heart broken,鈥� Nelson said, noting how the animal lover chose to harness that grief into something positive.
She set up the Major鈥檚 Legacy Fund, to provide community outreach to 91原创鈥檚 homeless population, who own pets, to ensure that those pets have access to veterinary care.
Basics, like vaccines and parasite control, as well as being able to provide for treatment of disease, dental, and other injuries as needed.
鈥淭he fund will also help people with low incomes to access the fund for the same kind of care,鈥� Nelson elaborated.
鈥淚t is such a gift to have the companionship of a pet and they add so much to our lives. The reality is that it costs money to provide food and veterinary care to animals. Sometimes good people, who love their pets, are struggling just to feed their families. It would be such a shame for a pet to end up in a shelter because the family can鈥檛 afford veterinary care or food.鈥�
What if that pet was the only thing in the world that someone had? Smith queried.
鈥淚t isn鈥檛 right for someone to have to choose between providing necessary veterinary care, allowing their pet to live with disease, illness or injuries, or surrendering to a shelter,鈥� she said.
鈥淓lizabeth has pledged $25,000 to ensure that no animal will go without needed medical care in this community,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淢ajor鈥檚 Legacy Fund will save many lives in the coming year. What an amazing gift. Thank you Elizabeth, for loving and adopting a very handsome slightly imperfect shelter dog. Bless you for your incredibly generous heart.鈥�
After explaining Smith鈥檚 pledge, Nelson went one step further and asked the crowd at Saturday鈥檚 gala to ponder making a pledge too.
鈥淐onsider making a pledge to help the 1,400 animals that will need our help in the coming year. Your pledge will ensure that we can continue to provide, our unique and wonderful animal welfare programs, provide life-saving medical care, and be able to fund the operation of our ISOasis.鈥�
_________________________________
Is there more to this story?
Like us on or follow us on
_________________________________
