The holiday season can be a tough time not only for people in need, but animals as well.
The Animal Wellness Fund wants to alleviate some of the stress for families in need this Christmas by supplying every food bank in the Muskoka and Parry Sound district with bags of food for both cats and dogs.
The pet food will be made available to registered food bank users and will be delivered to the food banks by December 7 so that there is enough time to distribute them to deserving families and their pets.
The Animal Wellness Fund, which was established in 2016, arose from the closing of the Huntsville Animal Shelter in 2012.
“The Huntsville shelter ran out of funding around the same time we received a generous donation from a gentleman who had passed away and left money to the shelter in his will,” said Animal Wellness Chair, Elaine Symington. “As it wasn’t financially possible to reboot the shelter, we decided to create the Animal Wellness Fund and use his money that way.”
The Animal Wellness Fund operates on that donation and the proceeds from the sale of the previous Huntsville Animal Shelter building. It also offers memberships and accepts general donations.
In conjunction with participating area veterinarians, the Animal Wellness Fund provides two programs for low-income pet owners. The first is a spay and neuter fund for people who are unable to afford the procedure for their pets. This program is particularly important because the Fund wants to eliminate strays being on the street. The spay and neuter program also includes having your pet microchipped.
The second is the compassionate care program, for people who have an animal as their only companion but can’t afford the cost of a non-elective, non-emergency surgery for their pet.
Both programs require pet owners to complete an online application process and provide proof of income and, if approved, contribute $100 toward the cost of the procedure. For more information about how to apply to either program click here.
I think this is a very necessary community service because we’re helping people who would otherwise have to either put their pets down or surrender them to a shelter. Since May 2016 we have saved over 200 animals and I want to continue to save as many as we can.
Elaine Symington, Animal Wellness Fund Chair
Follow the Animal Wellness Fund on Facebook or visit their websit here.
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