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(File Photo/northeastNOW Staff)
NESPCA Fundraising

North East SPCA continues to fundraise during COVID-19

May 11, 2020 | 5:11 PM

The North East SPCA (NESPCA) continues to fundraise during the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit a bit differently.

Board Chair Pat Shiels said they’ve had to move more to online fundraising. Recently, the NESPCA had been doing “Giving Tuesday” where people are asked to donate food and litter. The items go into a bin which the NESPCA is trying to fill.

“It’s gone pretty well,” Shiels said. “We could still use more though. It’s going to be an ongoing thing. So, if anybody has some dog food, cat food, or anything else they want to add to the bin, they can drop it off at the front doors of the SPCA.”

Numerous other fundraising efforts have been underway in other communities as well including bottle drives in Tisdale, Porcupine Plain, and Nipawin. For the month of May, the SPCA is also asking for sponsorships of pets in the shelter for a minimum donation. Board Members are also still selling cash calenders.

The NESPCA has also been asking surrounding communities and Rural Municipalities for help in keeping things running smoothly, Shiels said they have sent out a campaign to the surrounding areas to ask for their help.

“And they can do it couple of ways,” she said. “By helping fund our shelter work, where we will take their stray animals after they’ve been through their own pound system, or we can be their pound if they require it.”

A new fundraiser is also on the horizon for the NESPCA as they are going big, and online with a lottery style fundraiser. They’re calling it “The Paws 50/50”, and it’s expected to start in mid-July.

“We had just seen that other [organizations] had done it,” Shiels told northeastNOW. “And if we can get it all done online, which is a new thing for us, then we will be doing it that way, so we can be COVID-19 safe.”

There are still some details to be ironed out with the 50/50 as they are waiting to hear back from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Association to see if they would be able to do the lottery province wide, or if it needs to stay centered in the northeast region.

Meanwhile, the Harry and Eve Vickar Shelter remains open and operating, although by appointment only.

mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6