50 reMArKABLe YeArS! - Regina Humane Society Inc

Regina Humane Society Newsletter - Spring / Summer 2014
50 reMARKABLE
YearS!
Half a century of saving lives
Rising to the Challenge
Addressing pet overpopulation at its roots
Reunited
Ten year old Misha finds her way home
Do Good Feel good
Volunteers + Enrichment Activities =
happy shelter pets
A special gift to
the animals
A legacy improves lives
TEE IT UP!
The RHS FORE the ANimals Golf Classic is
about to swing into action!
Watch your mailbox
Fynn's Journey
to Recovery
Read how RHS lifesaving programs
and services gave a young dog hope
and happiness.
for
Prefer to receive RHS newsletter and
updates electronically? Go to
www.reginahumanesociety.ca to register.
LETTER FROM OUR LEADERSHIP
Dear Friends of the RHS,
What a year and what a team! Within these pages you will see
snapshots of how your support helped serve, teach, protect,
heal, innovate, provide and love unconditionally. Together, we
achieved amazing results in 2013 – pushing us closer to our
vision of becoming the most humane community in Canada.
In 2008, a record breaking 5,380 homeless animals entered our
shelter. We are extremely proud of the strides we’ve made since
that time due to the tireless work and dedication of our team of
donors, volunteers, adopters, social media followers, media
friends, corporate sponsors, pet store adoption satellites, animal
rescue networks, veterinary supporters and the City of Regina.
Our approach to partnership makes us all stronger.
In 2013, we achieved the highest live release rate in our almost
50 year history! 4,337 animals entered our shelter – almost a
thousand fewer animals, a 19 percent decrease from 2008
despite the fastest growing municipal and provincial populations
in the country. We continued to address pet overpopulation at
its root cause through targeted spay/neuter programs, which
sterilized and micro-chipped close to 2,070 animals in 2013
adding to the total of 6,223 sterilizations completed since the
inception of the program in 2011.
Other record breaking successes in 2013 included 836 pets
returned to their owners and 2,131 adopted to new homes.
These efforts combined resulted in a 43 percent decrease in
euthanasia since 2008 - an all-time record low.
There is so much more that we can and must do to address the
problems that animals face. We will continue to provide and
advocate for accessible spay/neuter services to stem the tide of
unwanted pets arriving at our shelter. We will expand
opportunities to make adoption the first option and lobby for
pets in rental properties to ensure that everyone has the chance
to know the love and companionship a pet can provide. We will
increase behavioural support and resources as a safety net to
pet owners struggling to cope with pet care issues. We will
continue developing and refining strategies to save more animal
lives.
Each year it becomes more and more challenging to deliver our
valuable programs and services in a facility that is time worn and
expired. In the coming year, we will begin to fundraise and build
a new Animal Community Centre for Regina to serve as the
foundation of our lifesaving community. We will continue to
make financially responsible choices using ethical fundraising
methods and create more self-generated revenue streams to
ensure that our shelter is financially stable for the long-term.
Please stay with us in 2014 so we can continue to improve the
lives of animals in our shared community. You are on this
journey with us.
On behalf of all the lives we touched, we thank you. They thank
you.
Louise Yates
President
Lisa Koch
Executive Director
RHS Board of Directors
President
Louise Yates, B. V/T Ed., M.B.A.
Partner, K-Lane Kennels
Vice-President Timothy F. Huber, B.A., J.D.
C
ounsel, Law Society
of Saskatchewan
Treasurer
Karen Mayne, CMA
Chief Financial Officer
Paradigm Consulting Group Inc.
Directors
Linda Allen-Hardisty, B.Ed., M.Ed.
Consultant | Coach,
Allen-Hardisty Consulting Inc.
Dr. Michelle Anderson, B.Sc., DVM
Veterinarian, Lakewood Animal Hospital
Brenda Caswell
Principal, Brenda Caswell Communications
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Andrea Johnston, B.Comm. J.D.
Director of Admissions & Education, Law Society
of Saskatchewan
David Kim Jones, B.A. (Honours), M.A., LLB
Senior Crown Prosecutor, Saskatchewan Justice
Cathy Joyner MPA, PMP
Consultant, Public Service Commission, Government of
Saskatchewan
Gayl Hipperson, Non-Profit Professional, Retired
Jennifer Nakonechny
Medical/Surgical Sales Representative,
Medtronic
Brenda Johnson, CGA
Assistant Director, Financial Operations, Saskatchewan
Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission
James Youck, B.A., B.Arch., MSAA, MMAA,
MRAIC, AIA, CEFPI
Principal, Architect, P3 Architecture Partnership (P3A)
HIGHLIGHTS 2013
2,131
The record breaking number of adoptions
achieved because people made adoption their first option
through the Society’s “Home Fur Good” adoption programs - a
10% increase over 2012.
16,050 The square footage of two off-leash areas
added in 2013 which provided much needed freedom and
excercise for our shelter dogs.
6,744 The number of animal related calls received by
Animal Protection Officers during 2013.
836
The number of lost animals returned safely to their
families by RHS Lost and Found Services in 2013.
35% The increase in cats returned to their owners this
year due to micro-chipping by the Regina Humane Society and
licensing of cats by the City of Regina. Identification goes a
long way to seeing that the cat came back the very next day.
8,760
Number of hours in 2013 RHS Protection Officers
were on duty (that is 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year)
1st The groundbreaking ShelterShare Conference, hosted
by RHS March 1, 2014. Animal welfare leaders from Humane
Societies and S.P.C.A.’s across Saskatchewan joined to network
and share best practice in the field of Animal Sheltering.
499 The number of animals who found their new home in 2,070 The number of lifesaving spay and neuter
2013 thanks to the new Adoption Sponsorship Program which
promotes the adpotion of hard to place pets by removing the
financial barriers to adoption.
419 The number of off-site adoptions thanks to
partnership with satellite adoption pet stores Pat’s Pets,
Petcetera, PetSmart, Pet Depot, Pet Valu and Petland - an
increase of 225% since the program began in 2010.
surgeries performed through the RHS Spay and Neuter
Programs in 2013 to eliminate pet overpopulation.
1st The RHS’s Facebook page has the highest number of
fans of any charitable organization in Saskatchewan. Women
make up 78% of these supporters.
0 The number of animals the Regina Humane Society turned
away in 2013, the same as were turned away in 2012, 2011,
2010... We are the community’s only open admission shelter.
We take all animals regardless of health, age, breed or
temperament.
3 Strategic Goals
1To end the euthanasia of healthy
animals in Regina through implementing
proven lifesaving strategies
2Build a new Animal
Community Centre
3Maintain financial stability for the
organization
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Our Doors Are Always Open
As Regina’s only open admission shelter, as well as Regina’s
Municipal Impoundment Facility, our doors are open to
any animal who needs help regardless of their breed, age,
temperament or medical condition. Thankfully, we have a legion
of compassionate individuals who do everything they can to
make sure each and every one of the over 4,000 animals we take
in each year are loved, cared for and given a second chance at
life.
Whether it’s our dedicated group of veterinarians who have
devoted their lives to shelter medicine, our team of adoption
counsellors who become our animals’ biggest cheerleaders, or
loyal supporters who consistently open their hearts to provide
the resources necessary to save lives, we all give a little piece of
ourselves each day to help make these animals feel whole.
We are a caring organization with one common goal – to improve
the lives of animals, alleviate their suffering and elevate their
status in society. We see things daily that are beyond the scope
of imagination; ailments and hurts that cannot be cured. Even
though we cannot save them all, there isn’t a day that goes by
that we don’t try.
Companion Animals
Teach Us Lessons Both Great & Small
Education is the foundation of everything we do. It’s the backbone of all RHS
programs.
Through the Society’s Humane Education Program a new generation of
animal advocates are learning about empathy, responsibility and caring. In
2013, over 2,300 Kindergarten through Grade 8 students participated in RHS
education programs promoting humane values, responsible pet care and dog
bite prevention. With 21 education volunteers helping to deliver programs
to schools, day camps and youth organizations and close to 220 high school
students participating as Caring Hands volunteers, RHS education programs
are exponential in their reach.
Research has shown that children who are taught kindness towards animals
are more likely to mature into caring responsible adults. Teaching the next
generation of Regina’s pet owners about humane values will help make our
community a better place today and long into the future.
RHS FACTS
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With your support, the RHS has created innovative programs and services to reduce the number of unwanted animals in
our community. In 2008, RHS cared for a near record breaking 5,380 animals. Incoming animals have trended downward
each year to 4,337 in 2013 – a 19% decrease from 2008. This equals 1,043 less animals despite a fast growing Regina
population.
Reunited & It Feels So Good!
The caller to Regina Humane Society Animal Protection Officers
had spotted a cat frozen to the concrete underneath a
residential dryer vent. Freezing cold temperatures dipping into
the minus 30 degree range had caused the stray cat to seek
warmth wherever it could be found. The cat, named Misha, was
indeed a very much loved family member whose owners had
been relentlessly searching for their 10 year old cat for over a
month since he darted out of the house. Emaciated, dehydrated
and suffering from extreme frostbite, weeks of living on the
street had made Misha almost unrecognizable from his image
on the posters his family had distributed everywhere.
His identifying tattoo allowed the RHS to deliver the news his
owners had been waiting for – Misha had been found! Like
Misha and his family, the RHS celebrated 835 other reunions
between pets and their owners in 2013.
Thanks to promotion of the City of Regina’s licensing
incentive program My Pet Matters and RHS community
tattoo/microchip programs, the number of stray cats
returned to their owners have increased 50% in the last 5
years.
A Lasting Gift for the Animals
Soon the Regina Humane Society will be able to provide the cats at the Shelter with a healthier
and happier stay thanks to the generosity of an amazing woman, Sylvia Aumuller, and the
significant donation she left to the animals through her estate. Ordered last fall, the RHS
was able to purchase 43 custom made stainless steel cat kennels from Suburban Surgical.
These kennels offer our cats increased space including private sleeping and bathroom areas.
In addition, they provide for easier cleaning and will greatly reduce the spread of illnesses
between cats at the shelter.
At a cost of over $160,000, the purchase
of these new kennels, which can be
transported and used in our new proposed
Animal Community Centre, would not have
been possible without the generous gift
Sylvia left to the RHS in her will.
A lifelong animal lover, Sylvia enjoyed and took pride in her work as a
Financial Accountant with Alex Marion Restaurants. She was a warm
and generous woman who made many friends throughout her life.
She enjoyed spending time at her cottage, playing cards and had a
wonderful sense of humour and spirit. Sylvia passed away in 2009
and is greatly missed by her family and friends.
When planning her estate she took care to include several charities
including the RHS and the lasting impact of her generosity can be felt
throughout our community.
Today her legacy lives on and for the thousands of cats and kittens who will enjoy a happier stay at the Shelter while
awaiting adoption, we know they, as we are, will be forever grateful for her kindness.
Thank you, Sylvia.
To discuss how a gift in your will can help homeless animals in need contact:
Karen Dackiw, CFRE 306 543-6363, ext.236 - [email protected] - www.reginahumanesociety.ca
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Building a Lifesaving Community for
50 Years
The Regina Humane Society is celebrating 50 years of
saving lives and finding forever homes. The Society
began because of the hard work of a diverse and very
busy group of people who came together, almost in
desperation, to do something about the homeless and
abandoned animals in our city.
In 1964, the first Board of Directors faced enormous
challenges as the Regina Society for the Humane Care of
Animals to raise funds and awareness in the creation of
a Humane Society for Regina. The Society began humbly
enough on a small acreage off Highway #6 North. An old
farmhouse served as quarters for the Chief Inspector
and a Quoncet was erected to serve as the shelter for
homeless pets. Like the prairie, it was unbelievably hot
in the summer and bone-chillingly cold in the winter.
The Board, their new members and their first employee
persevered and laid the groundwork for the RHS of
today. (Read more about RHS history at http://www.
reginahumanesociety.ca/document.doc?id=79)
Many things have changed for the Regina Humane
Society and homeless or abused animals in our
community in the last 50 years. Even our logo has
changed, updated from the original logo which was cut
out from a Christmas card. In 1988, the RHS and the
City of Regina entered into an important agreement to
provide care to the City’s animals and closed the City
Pound. This ongoing partnership with the City of Regina
in the provision of quality animal programs and services
has been invaluable in improving health, safety and the
quality of life for people and animals in our community.
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Lost animals delivered to the Shelter 50 years ago were
documented with pencil and paper and relied, in large
part, on owners visiting the shelter to retrieve them.
Today, universal on-line pet recovery databases, in house
animal management software, tattoos, microchips and
licenses for dogs and cats help to ensure that animals
are returned to their owners without a stay at the Shelter
which has resulted in unprecedented return to owner
rates.
How we care for homeless animals has changed a lot,
too. Fifty years ago, homeless cats spent all of their time
in a cage. Today, the Society’s two bright communal living
areas provide lots of space for playing and interacting
with people and other cats. The Society’s Caring Hands
volunteers provide thousands of hours socializing and
exercising all of the Shelters cats awaiting adoption.
Fifty years ago, homeless dogs also spent their days
confined to a kennel. The inception of the Caring Hands
program in the mid-90’s provided a way for volunteers to
walk, play with, train, bath, groom and love up our dogs
every day. Our partnership with The Playground Doggie
Daycare provides long term resident dogs an opportunity
to be a regular dog for the day cavorting with other dogs
in their daycare arena. In 2013, RHS volunteers put in
over 77,000 hours, which is equivalent to 39 ½ full-time
employees!
In 1964, orphaned kittens and puppies had nowhere to
grow and thrive. Their fate, sadly, was sealed.
Today, the Society’s Foster Care Program, provides a safe
environment for orphaned babies, moms and litters as well
as sick, injured and unsocialized animals to experience love
and one on one care in a home setting until they are ready to
be adopted.
When the founding Board of Directors first brought the
RHS to life they probably never imagined that one day over
2,100 animals annually would find loving forever homes
through the Society. Could they have dreamt that one day
the Society would have satellite adoption centres in six
Regina pet stores or that each shelter animal would be spay/
neutered, vaccinated, micro chipped, tattooed and receive
a free six week pet insurance policy and complimentary
veterinary exam from local clinics? We are fortunate to
have a community of pet retailers and veterinarians who
understand that cooperation is the best approach to creating
a lifesaving community. We are looking forward to launching
our mobile Adoption Army units in the community this
summer to provide more opportunity for the public to see all
that a shelter pet has to offer.
Animals abandoned at the nuisance grounds were a major
issue in 1964 and many neglected and forgotten animals
suffered in silence. The Society worked hard to change this
through public education programs. Education remains
the foundation of everything we do. RHS Animal Protection
Officers field more calls in response to animal abuse and
neglect than any other agency in the province and over
263,000 people signed an on-line petition asking for a
substantial sentence in the court case of a Regina animal
abuser - testament to the growing number of people who
are willing to get involved to help animals in need. More than
342,400 people viewed and shared a single RHS Facebook
post regarding adoptable dogs. The Society is the first
non-profit in Saskatchewan to embrace large scale social
media with the largest number of Facebook followers in
the province surpassing all other charities. RHS Education
programs are exponential in their reach.
Fifty years ago there was little hope for sick or injured
animals who found their way to the RHS. Today, these
animals benefit from the province’s only animal shelter
hospital staffed by a team of dedicated RHS shelter
veterinarians. Adoption spay and neuter as well as
subsidized pet sterilization are provided to financially
disadvantaged households as well as animal rescue
organizations in Regina through a partnership with
the City of Regina.
Canada’s first mobile Spay and Neuter Clinic operated by
the Society continues to address pet overpopulation at its
root cause and ultimately end euthanasia. Working with its
many lifesaving partners, the Society is experiencing it’s
highest save rates in the past 50 years.
The RHS continues to grow due to the hard work of
dedicated volunteers and staff, each with compassion
and skill, working to improve the welfare of animals
in our community. The RHS has come full-circle as it
again searches for a site on which to build a new Animal
Community Centre to replace its time-worn facility.
We look forward to our 51st year with the excitement a
new facility brings to serve as the foundation of our work
on behalf of animals in the community. It is thanks to the
Society’s founding members and thousands of others in
our past and present community who care about animals
that we have been able to make the progress that we have
made saving animal lives. They envisioned a community
where every pet is cared for and loved. We are counting on
you to help us make a bright future for every animal in our
community in the years to come.
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ABOVE & BEYOND
As the largest open intake shelter in the province, the RHS
continuously seeks advancements in the standards
of care for our animals. The monumental task of
feeding and caring for the close to 4,400 animals
that enter our shelter each year is critical and never
ending. Our animal care teams go above and
beyond for animals in need every day.
Fynn, like many of the animals that arrive at the RHS,
was in need of immediate medical attention and pain
management. Struck by a car early one morning,
Fynn was transported immediately to the Shelter for
care. X-rays showed that Fynn’s tibia and fibula had
been broken. Although found with a collar, Fynn had
no other identification and no one ever came looking
for this young dog, his life left in the hands of the RHS.
The RHS serves as the province’s only Animal Shelter
Hospital with a veterinary team certified by the
Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association. Under
their care, Fynn began a long, slow recuperation of
kennel rest and physiotherapy. Fynn also spent time
recuperating in one of the Society’s 49 Foster Homes,
before being returned to the Shelter to ace his
temperament test and be placed for adoption. Through
enrichment programs, like Caring Hands, volunteers
ensured he looked his best and helped him to build
strength and agility in his newly healed leg through
regular romps in one of the Shelter’s four dog walking
areas.
Fynn grew strong and his playful nature soon attracted a
family that would adopt him. Now with both a human
and canine family to call his very own, Fynn is loved and
cared for. It is hard to imagine that a few short months
before this bright light had been injured and abandoned, his
potential saved by the programs and services provided by
the RHS.
RHS FACTS
Through outstanding care, customer service and creative approaches to
connecting hearts, your support helped us reach 2,131 adoptions in 2013
– the highest number of adoptions in the Society’s 49 year history.
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RISING TO THE CHALLENGE!
Pet overpopulation is a challenging issue that continues to affect both animals
and people. The result is thousands of homeless and unwanted animals coming
into shelters across the country. In 2010, the RHS, in partnership with the City
of Regina, launched a subsidized, needs-based, community spay/neuter
program with a goal of reducing unwanted animal numbers by targeting areas
with the highest incidence of animal population and welfare issues due to
financial and accessibility barriers.
Since the inception of the program, the Society’s Spay and Neuter Clinic has
provided accessible spay, neuter, microchip, tattoo and licensing to 6,223
adopted and community pets (2,070 in 2013). Addressing pet overpopulation
at its roots has resulted in reducing incoming animals by almost 1,000 animals
in less than 5 years despite a fast growing Regina population. One to take
advantage of the program was Regina resident, Wendy M.and her 11-month
old dog, River. “Cost is a factor, so I wouldn’t have been able to get River
spayed without an affordable option,” said Wendy. “I’m very appreciative of
the Regina Humane Society helping me to do what I knew needed to be
done.”
In our continued commitment to alleviating the pet overpopulation crisis, the RHS Pet S.T.O.P.
(Supply, Training and Outreach Program) completed its 10th summer of fun and education in
Central Regina areas. Through partnerships with the North Central Community Association
and the City of Regina PlayEscapes program, Pet S.T.O.P. played an integral role in delivering
valuable messages of responsibility, empathy and compassion for people and animals to over
520 children. The Animal Well-Fair, held in Albert Scott Community Centre Park on August 25,
served as the culmination of summer outreach programs where more than 700 residents from
the North Central area participated in pet care education stations and received valuable pet
care supplies to help keep a loving pet as part of their family.
To find out if you or someone you
knows qualifies for the Spay Neuter
Program, please call 522-SPAY (7729)
or download the application online
at www.reginahumanesociety.ca
under Programs & Services.
Miracles Often Grow Out Of
Extreme Difficulties
Regina Humane Society Animal Protection Officers see it every day. They
rescue the beaten, the starving and the forgotten. They work tirelessly to
pursue and bring justice to those that are responsible. In 2013, 589 cruelty
complaints were investigated by the RHS, the only organization performing
this often heart-breaking service in the City of Regina and surrounding area.
Some people would have looked at Bellatrix and seen nothing more than
a raggedy street cat. We see a story of compassionate teamwork and a
miracle in the making. Found cold and alone outside of the employee
entrance of the Regina General Hospital, Bellatrix was suffering from a life
threatening close point gun shot wound to the head. Animal Protection
Officers rushed Bellatrix to RHS veterinarians who spent hours removing
small fragments of lead embedded in the jaw bone of this gentle 2 year old
cat.
These two special teams serve as RHS first responders to animals clinging
to life and are often their only hope at survival. The resilience of abused
and neglected pets, like Bellatrix, inspires us every day. Cuddled snuggly in
the arms of her new family, her ability to trust after all she had endured is
nothing short of a miracle.
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The Best Thing to Happen to a
Shelter Pet is YOU!
Sausage’s story started like so many of the other 1,121 animals
surrendered by their owners to the Society in 2013. After 4
years of living together, Sausage’s family was no longer able
to provide him with a home. A wonderful dog who quickly
won the hearts of staff and volunteers alike, Sausage was,
through no fault of his own, over looked day after day by
potential adopters. His wait for a home became long and
heartbreaking but, like the other 2,130 record breaking
adoptions in 2013, the RHS team knew the right family was
out there just waiting to be found.
His quest for a home was featured on television, radio,
Facebook and Twitter and his Furry Flier was sent to
hundreds of RHS advocates throughout Saskatchewan.
To reduce the financial barriers to adoption, his adoption
fee was paid by a generous donor through the Society’s
Pet Sponsorship Program which also helped 499 other
pets, just like Sausage, find their forever homes in 2013.
Needing room to move and the warmth of companionship,
his living quarters were upgraded to shared office
accommodations with two of the Society’s Directors.
Better yes, but still, it wasn’t a home.
After a full 7 weeks of waiting, and the tireless work of a
community of supporters, Sausage, found a place and a
family to call his own. Each year we reach higher and
higher to ensure that all healthy and treatable animals
get a second chance at becoming the love of someone’s
life.
Is adoption of a RHS pet in your future? Be sure
to check out all of our great adoptable animals
at the RHS or at our satellite adoption facilities
Pat’s Pets, Petcetera, Pet Depot North, Petland,
PetSmart and Pet Valu.
Meet the new love of your life or consider sponsoring the
adoption of a shelter pet still awaiting a home by visiting
www.reginahumanesociety.ca.
SafePlaces
Seeking help when escaping a violent home shouldn’t come down to choosing
between your safety or your pet’s safety. The Regina Humane Society’s Safe Places
program ensures animals have a safe, temporary place to go when family members
flee an abusive environment. Safe Places will accept any family pet, at any hour of
the day, when a victim of domestic violence is leaving, or has already left the home to
enter a shelter environment.
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Find out how Safe Places can help you or someone you know, visit www.
reginahumanesociety.ca or call our Animal Protection Officers at (306) 777-7700.
After hours we can be reached through the Regina City Police at (306) 777-6500.
Do GoodFeel Good
For the students of Thompson Community School school making enrichment toys for
shelter animals was more than just a fun activity. Each toy they made, from materials
they collected themselves, was a way for them to provide a priceless period of time to a
homeless shelter pet. The Pet Enrichment Program or P.E.P. is a much needed expansion
to the care provided to companion animals waiting adoption at the RHS.
A comprehensive variety of toys, scents and food puzzles create a stimulating
environment which helps ensure that cats, dogs, kittens and puppies stay mentally
stimulated as they wait for adoption.
Making enrichment toys is just one of the Society’s multitude of volunteer programs
where members of our community donate their time and talent to help make our shelter
a better place for animals in need. Over 875 volunteers worked tirelessly to provide
exercise, training, grooming and foster care for shelter pets as well as assist in outreach
efforts, events, administration and building maintenance in 2013.
Our volunteers are an important part of our life and work at the RHS and we couldn’t do
what we do without them. In 2013, RHS volunteers put in over 77,000 hours, which is
equivalent to 39 ½ full-time employees!
Pet Pantry Program
Taking care of over 4,500 animals a year is a big job! Imagine what you might use every year to keep your pet well-fed,
healthy and loved then multiply that by the thousands and you will get a sense of what is required to care for homeless
animals depending on the RHS.
The Pet Pantry Program is a simple way for those who want to help make a difference for animals in a very tangible way.
Through the program, supporters are requested to purchase a specially needed care item for the animals at the Shelter
periodically throughout the year. Here’s how it works:
•Join the Pet Pantry by registering at www.reginahumanesociety.ca or calling (306) 543-6363, ext. 232. When a
specific item is needed at the Shelter, you will be notified by e-mail.
• Only twenty volunteers are contacted at a time. Once contacted to supply a specific item, your name is moved
to the bottom of the Pet Pantry request listing to ensure you are not contacted too often. You may discontinue
participation in the Pet Pantry Program or opt out of purchasing a specific item at any time.
• In general, needed items will cost between $10 to $25. An exact description, approximate cost and retailer for each
item is provided. Examples include cat litter, canned pet food or laundry soap.
• In some cases, higher priced items such as Veterinary food, which can range between $40 to $80, is required.
There is a special option on the Pet Pantry registration form if you wish to be included in these requests.
• Once the item has been purchased and delivered to Shelter Reception, you may submit a cashier receipt to receive
a tax deductible receipt for the amount of the donation.
• Leave the Shelter feeling like the hero you are for helping to care for animals in need!
If you live out of town or even across the world, you can still help! Instead of purchasing an item, make a donation for
the item’s cost and we’ll purchase it on your behalf and send you a tax receipt. For further information on the Pet Pantry
Program, please contact Laura at (306) 543-6363 ext. 232.
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OUR LIFESAVING PARTNERS
Everyday a family finds a perfect match and a formerly
homeless animal finds a loving forever home thanks to the
Society’s Satellite Adoption Centres. These partners in
animal lifesaving have supported a 68% increase in cat
adoptions since the inception of the Satellite Adoption
Program in 2010.
Pat’s Pets, Petcetera, Pet Depot, PetSmart, Petland and
Petvalu, all RHS Satellite Adoption Centres, are just six of
the many corporate partners who aid our programs and
services in countless ways.
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Having this exceptional community of caring supporters
provides operational supplies, media promotion, venues
and vehicles to promote adoption and everything in
between to bolster the Society’s lifesaving endeavors. No
one is as grateful as the thousands of pets who are healthy
and safe because of the continued contributions of our
valued community partners!
Spay/Neuter Superhero's
Animal welfare organizations and veterinarians widely agree that a key solution to the crisis of overpopulation and
homelessness of companion animals is accessible spay/neuter surgery.
When humane societies and local veterinarians work together to address the problem of too many pets in our
community great things can happen. We are so fortunate at the Regina Humane Society to benefit from the generosity
and commitment of two clinics in Regina, Airport Animal Hospital and Northgate Animal Hospital who have offered inkind sterilization surgeries for many of our animals. Since 2013, Airport Animal Hospital has spayed and neutered close
to 80 shelter animals at no-cost and Northgate Animal Hospital has sterilized 33 with a combined in-kind value of close
to $20,000!
This has allowed the shelter to re-invest much needed funds and our staff veterinary time to helping even more animals.
We are extremely thankful for this support and know that moving forward these partnerships will continue to help
Regina’s homeless animals while reducing the number of unwanted pets in our community.
Continuing To Give
His passing was quick and unexpected. Like the love and joy he brought every day to his
family, Bugs continued to give of himself after he passed. “Bugs was an important part of
our lives. The Regina Humane Society honoured him with the great care they gave to him
and to the compassion they gave to us.” said his owner Sean S. “When we adopted Bugs,
he brought such instant joy to our family. Bugs’ legacy is that he provided hope and
comfort to pets waiting for a forever home. Bugs was able to continue to give right up to
the very end. That was important to us.”
As pet owners ourselves, the staff at the RHS know that losing a pet can be like losing
a best friend. RHS staff treats each pet and their family with the upmost dignity and
respect and takes time to understand client wishes. This is why the RHS was entrusted
with over 1,500 private pet cremations in 2013 through its cremation service provided in
partnership with Regina and area Veterinary Clinics.
Through these Clinics and their clients, proceeds from RHS cremation services help to
provide a second chance at life and love to homeless pets. Pet owners can take solace
in knowing that their pet leaves a legacy that will support animal care and protection
programs and services in our community.
The staff of the RHS and the over 4,300 animals that entered our shelter in 2013 would like to thank the following clinics for their
support:
24 Hr Animal Care Centre
BorderVET Animal Health Services
Northgate Animal Hospital
Airport Animal Hospital
Double Bar S Veterinary Services
Prairie Health Centre (Weyburn/Estevan)
Albert North Veterinary Clinic
Earl Grey Veterinary Services
Preeceville Veterinary
Animal Clinic Of Regina
Edenwood Veterinary Housecalls
Shaunavon Animal Clinic
At Home Veterinary Services
Hudson Bay Veterinary Services
Sherwood Animal Clinic
Bellamy Harrison Animal Hospital (Moose Jaw)
Lakewood Animal Hospital
TM’Z Veterinary Clinic
Twin Valley Veterinary Health Services
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Dates to Remember
Thank You!
Regina Humane Society Annual General Meeting
April 15th
Garden Party
April 30th
Regina Humane Society’s 50th Anniversary
May 1st
Thank you to Zoom Zoom Groom for sponsoring Pet
Catalogue on Access 7!
Make sure to tune in to see lots of adorable animals for
adoption and get caught up on events and happenings at
the Shelter.
Be Kind to Animals Week
May 4th to 10th
Dog Jog presented by K-Lane Kennels
June 8th
Fore the Animals Golf Tournament
July 7th
Fur Ball
October 2014
Regina Humane Society
Box 3143
Albert Street North & Armour Road
Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3G7
Phone: (306) 543-6363 Fax: (306) 545-7661
www.reginahumanesociety.ca
rop
National Philanth
Award
y Day
Adoptions
Monday – Sunday – open at noon
1st & 3rd Mondays – open at 2 p.m.
Lost and Found
7 days/week – open at 9 a.m.
Animal Protection Services
Bylaw enforcement, dangerous dogs, cruelty
and neglect complaints
7 days/week – open at 9 a.m.
Phone (306) 777-7700
After Hours Emergency Service
Phone (306)777-7700
The opinions, products, or services represented
in Voice of the Animals are not necessarily those
promoted by the Regina Humane Society.
Key Contacts
Executive Director
Lisa Koch (Ext. 223)
Director of Operations
Steve Battistolo (Ext. 225)
Director of Veterinary Care
Dr. Brie Hamblin (Ext. 228)
Director of Communications
Don Simons (Ext. 229)
Director of Development
Karen Dackiw (Ext. 236)
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Congratulations to our friends at Metro Pet Market for
winning the Outstanding Small Business Philanthropist
Award at the 2013 National Philanthropy Day event
hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals
Regina Chapter.
They were honored for all they do to help the Regina
Humane Society and other pet rescues in the city!
Garden Party
April 30th, 2014
The Regina Humane Society’s Garden Party,
on Wednesday, April 30 will be at the beautiful
Conexus Arts Centre. This year, everyone’s
favourite garden expert Ken Beattie will be the
guest speaker of the evening. Join us for an
evening of horticultural expertise, delicious
food, a wonderful silent auction and good
company. There will be updates on the work
being done by the Shelter, and success stories of
some of our past residents. Prizes will go to
those with the best garden-themed hat, so be
creative!
Money raised from the Garden Party goes
towards caring for every animal that comes
into the shelter.
For tickets or more info, visit our website
at www.reginahumanesociety.ca or contact
Christy Ross at [email protected].
Upcoming
Events!
Make sure you check out our website and Facebook page
for the latest news and events, like the “Dog Jog” on June
8th, and our exciting golf event “Fore the Animals” coming
up on July 7th!
www.reginahumanesociety.ca | www.facebook.com/
reginahumane
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