Carmen Ward’s goal is to see every animal at the Flin Flon, Creighton and Area SPCA shelter find a new home.
Until that can happen, Ward, the shelter manager, wants to ensure each furry tenant lives a healthy and happy life.
Which is why she is so excited about a recent addition to the shelter – a fenced-in play area that lets dogs run around, socialize and soak up the sun.
“It’s going to make a huge difference in the lives of the shelter dogs,” says Ward.
Spanning just under 2,000 square feet, the play area is all but complete, save for some additional fill expected to arrive in the coming days.
In time the area will be stocked with play structures and children’s swimming pools that double as doggie pools.
In conjunction with the play area, the SPCA had the rear exit area of the shelter fenced off, a safety buffer in the event an animal makes it out the door unsupervised.
The entire project came in at nearly $20,000, with the cost covered by grants from Hudbay and the Northern Neighbours Foundation as well as fundraising.
Though it will have long been in use, Ward looks forward to officially opening the play area with a ribbon cutting this fall when the shelter celebrates its third anniversary.
“We wish we could have had it sooner, but we’re happy it’s here now,” she said.
Recovering
Meanwhile, Ward reports that a shelter cat injured during a recent wildfire-induced evacuation is recovering in a foster home.
During the Thursday, June 4 evacuation, a dog grabbed the cat, which suffered head trauma.
“I was kind of scared that she wasn’t going to make it, but she pulled through,” said Ward.
The wildfire did not damage the building, which was evacuated amid fears of smoke inhalation and uncertainty over how large the blaze would grow.
