Event puts spotlight on rescue animals

By Justin Seward - Lethbridge Herald on July 13, 2024.

Herald Photo by Justin Seward Ray Keyes pets Dixie during Rescuefest at the Lethbridge Animal Shelter.

People had a chance to meet adoptable animals and learn how they can support the nine rescue groups that were on hand recently at the Community Animal Services RescueFest.

“Rescuefest is an opportunity to provide a spotlight to the local animal rescue organizations operating in southern Alberta,” said Skylar Plourde, Community Animal Services director of services.

“The idea is to recruit volunteers, donors, adopters and just general supporters for these non-for-profit, volunteer based animal rescue organizations. As a city department, obviously we have a secured budget that we can operate on, we have paid staff to do the job that the municipality has as far as animal control. But the rescue groups play a very important role in finding homes for these animals, supporting animals (that) have special needs, fostering, all that kind of stuff and they’re all doing it with volunteers and fundraising basically.”

Plourde said a lot of the groups in the city use foster homes whereas City facilities typically won’t have foster homes.

“Cats and dogs that again have these special needs will benefit from a foster environment and these groups often can provide that,” said Plourde.

“And again like because we’re seeing all these animals being abandoned, dumped off (and) people are trying to surrender their cats and dogs on literally a daily basis, we need more foster homes, more shelter spaces. And the reality is there’s not a lot of funding available for this from government organizations and such like that. So these groups have to fundraise, whether that’s through bottle drives, bake sales, raffles, 50/50 that kind of stuff. If the public’s not willing to support then it won’t happen.”

Plourde said rescue and animal control have different priorities.

“Animals that are neglected and abused typically become a nuisance or a danger to the community,” he said.

“So if we can mitigate animal welfare issues, animals not being taken care of, it’s less likely that they’ll become a problem to the community in the future that we have to deal with. So it’s important that our organization maintains relationships with these groups and we do.”

Erin Thibault, Lethbridge and District Humane Society president, was asked about the importance of hosting a Rescuefest.

“Right now, especially, it’s extremely important to get our message out that we’re here and we’re doing all we can for the animals that are being abandoned out there,” said Thibault.

“I think every organization right now is completely full and kind of in crisis almost on a daily basis. But animals just keep coming in and in and in. So it’s a great way for us to talk to the public and hopefully get them out to help and support either with donations or come and volunteer or at least adopt, don’t shop.”

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