By Nathan Kanter

Lakeland Vet returns with $5 donation for every North Stars goal

Sep 19, 2017 | 12:00 PM

When a new donation initiative is a smashing success, there’s a good chance it returns for another year.

That’s the case with last season’s “He shoots, he scores!” sponsorship deal, where Lakeland Veterinary Services donated $5 to the Battlefords Humane Society for every goal the Battlefords North Stars scored in the regular season.

“It was a very successful fundraiser last year,” veterinarian Shawn Haas said. “The North Stars had an exceptional season. I think it brought more publicity to the shelter’s building fund campaign and it was a fun idea to support the North Stars.

“It’s a really unique way to bring light to the society and what we’re trying to do.”

The Battlefords Humane Society building fund is currently at $550,000 raised, according to shelter coordinator Michelle Spark, but it needs to get to $1.5 million.

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“We’re in negotiations with the city right now, in respect to land and operational funding,” Spark said. “In the new building we would be taking over the maintenance and cost of the building so we would like them to take over more of the operational funding.”

Approximately 650 cats and dogs go through the current shelter each year. A new building would allow them to house more animals, but also provide better care because they wouldn’t always be over-capacity.

Haas said if the shelter didn’t exist, many animals would have to be put down.

“Basically those animals for the most part would end up being euthanized within three days of them coming into custody,” Haas said. “We deem animals a lot of times to be a part of our families and certainly we don’t want to see them euthanized. We would much rather see them adopted out so that they have a home that will love and take care of them.”

Spark added with a new, bigger facility, they will be able to help out other shelters as well.

“The shelter allows us to network with other rescues or shelters that need help that are full and don’t have a place to send those animals,” she said. “If we have the room to take them, we can help those other places.

“We’re so much more than just a pound. We’re a huge part of the community.”

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NathanKanter11