Humane Society fundraiser returns

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This article was published 03/09/2022 (1266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you are thinking about adopting a pet, the Brandon Humane Society is inviting you to take a walk with them.

The animal shelter and rescue is holding its 19th Wag-A-Tail Walk-A-Thon fundraiser on Sept. 11 after taking a pandemic hiatus.

This time around, pooches and their humans are hitting the trails around Riverbank Discovery Centre from 10 a.m. to noon. People walking in memory of a lost pet can also participate.

Following the walk, the Brandon Wheat Kings will host a barbecue lunch.

Also, as in past Walk-A-Thons, the Humane Society will also have several dogs and cats on-site looking for a new home.

To participate, people need to get a pledge form and fundraise. Pledge forms can be found at the Humane Society, Brandon Hills Vet Clinic, A Pet Lovers Warehouse, Pet Valu in the Keystone Village and Corral Centre, and West Best Pet Foods.

The event is the biggest fundraiser for the animal welfare charity, said shelter manager Tracy Munn.

“Some people still think we get government funding, and we don’t; we are completely reliant on the charity of good-hearted people,” she said.

All money raised goes straight to the Brandon Humane Society to help it pay for everything from food to utility bills.

In the past, the event averaged $40,000 in pledges raised, but the hope is Wag-A-Tail can surpass that. However, any donations and pledges are welcome, Munn said, especially after the hardships of the pandemic and a spike in animal abandonments and surrenders.

She said the society was concerned when there was a run on shelter adoptions during COVID lockdowns. People adopted dogs and cats in droves.

Now that the pandemic is waning and people are returning to in-person work and school, shelters and charities are seeing more animals come through their doors.

The walk will be as much about educating people as it is about fundraising and adoption. The Brandon Humane Society wants to make sure people looking to adopt are aware it is a commitment, not a convenience.

“When the shelters were emptying out, we actually made our adoption process stricter because we could see that coming when shelters were emptying out,” said Munn.

“Now they are filling up again. We try to tell people this isn’t a toy or fashion accessory, it’s a commitment. We want our animals to have forever homes. They give everything and they deserve a loving home.”

She added along with caring for their pets, they will be talking about the benefits of spaying and neutering animals for their health and safety, as well as cutting down on the pet overpopulation.

Wag-A-Tail lets people visit the animals up close and get to know them without an appointment, as well as talk to shelter volunteers about what they need to do to prepare themselves for a new pet, Munn added.

She isn’t sure how many animals the shelter will have at the event, but hopes for just as much public support as they received in the past.

To find out more, contact the society at 204-728-1333, or visit its website at www.brandonhumanesociety.ca.

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com

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