What does community mean? To the Estevan Humane Society, it means everyone banding together to donate time, talent and monetary means to reach a common goal.
To come together to give a voice to the animals people co-exist with, thanks to the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, Estevan’s animal shelter had a chance to share that vision.
The Estevan Humane Society received a South Saskatchewan Community Foundation grant, and as such, hosted on the SSFC’s 50th anniversary, one of the 50 Vital Conversations held across the province. The public was invited to attend, listen and discuss the role and impact the EHS has in the community and its goals for the now and future.
EHS manager Elizabeth Murphy shared that it was an intimate discussion with just seven community members present. They were able to remind the public what it is they do as an animal shelter, that they serve not just the community but also surrounding areas, and that they are just one of three no kill shelters in Saskatchewan.
Their mission is to serve the animals under the five freedoms, and serve the community with the limited resources at their disposal.
Murphy said that even though it was a small gathering, they were able to raise awareness of the community’s needs when it comes to animal welfare.
A few main topics discussed included the amount of stray animals in the community, the amount of relinquished animals, and how the down turn of the economy is affecting the animals in the city. Due to the recession, the humane society has seen an increase of animals, and for the same reasons, has experienced a decrease in adoptions and monetary donations.
With limited resources the EHS’s goals for the future is to keep fundraising, so they can expand or renovate to better accommodate the community’s animal control needs. They rely on their volunteer programs to lighten the emotional, physical and financial demands, and to be able to continue being open. They encourage people to help, with not just financial donations, but time to give better quality of life to the animals in their care, and give the animals a better chance at finding the right home.
