The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Flin Flon, Creighton and Area SPCA has achieved its ultimate goal, but the group's struggles are far from over. That was evident over the weekend as the SPCA hosted an open house to celebrate the one-year anniversary of its animal shelter. 'We can't stop fundraising or we won't be here,' said shelter manager Carmen Hiebert. The SPCA is always searching for new fundraising ideas to cover costs that, thankfully, do not include a mortgage. 'The building was paid for the day we moved in and that was a big plus for us,' said Debbie Hiebert, president of the SPCA. 'We couldn't manage a mortgage and look after animals at the same time. We had to be free of debt when we moved in here, so we were. It will be a struggle now to maintain and keep up, but we have enthusiastic people who are working hard and we're hoping to keep on going.' The SPCA spent more than a decade trying to build a shelter. In the interim, homeless and abandoned animals often stayed at Debbie's business, Stillwater Kennels, through her own generosity. After some aborted attempts, the animal shelter finally opened in September 2012 along the Cliff Lake Road just off the Perimetre Highway. See 'Adopt...' on pg. Continued from pg. The more accessible location has allowed the SPCA to find homes for 84 animals _ 51 dogs and 33 cats _ in little over a year, much more than previous years. But that success has been tempered by some harsh realities. For one, the shelter is currently full, with the SPCA relying on volunteers to provide room and board for animals. 'We can't really take anymore,' said Debbie. 'Our pens are full.' Another challenge is Debbie's view that there are more stray animals in the Flin Flon area than in previous years. 'And the strays that are around Flin Flon right now are coming in with lice and stuff like that that we never used to see in the strays,' she said. To help combat that problem, the SPCA continues to offer a program that helps lower-income pet owners spay and neuter their pets. 'Quite a few people take advantage of that,' Debbie said. Carmen, the shelter manager, isn't so sure there are more strays, but she knows the SPCA could use additional volunteers. 'We would like to see more volunteers coming through, more dog walkers, more help with kennel cleaning,' she said. 'That would probably make things go a lot better.' Debbie noted that even people who are allergic to animals can volunteer through office and fundraising duties that involve no contact with cats and dogs. Built mostly with volunteer labour and many donated materials, the animal shelter marked the beginning of a new era for the SPCA. With about 1,600 sq. ft. of space, it can hold up to about 20 dogs in a chain-link-fenced kennel. In a nearby room, about as many cats can be housed in individual cages. Located near the old Flin Flon museum site, the sound-proof building also includes a reception area, a kitchen, meeting and waiting rooms, and office space. 'All things considered,' Debbie said the first year of the shelter 'has gone really, really well.'
