Duane Hicks
Old towels and blankets. Chew toys. Food.
All items a dog or cat might have on its Christmas list.
So why not help make a stray pooch or kitty’s stay at the Fort Frances Animal Shelter a more comfortable one this holiday season?
District residents have proven themselves very generous time and again. But one good cause many people may not have thought of is the town’s animal shelter, located on Fifth Street West just east of the Public Works building.
“We are always looking for donations for the shelter to help us offset the costs of running it,” bylaw enforcement officer Patrick Briere told the Times.
The shelter has received some donations already this year from a few residents but always is looking for more, he noted.
Items do not have to be new. In fact, giving to the pound provides a suitable alternative to people just throwing away certain items.
Briere said donations have ranged from leashes and bowls to toys, blankets, and towels.
Sometimes these are donated by individuals whose dogs have passed away and the owners no longer have a use for their pooch’s possessions.
He noted having blankets or toys, for example, can help make an animal’s stay more comfortable.
“The more comfortable it is for them, the better it is for us, especially for some of the animals that are more aggressive,” said Briere.
“It gives us the opportunity to work with them and bring them around,” he added.
Likewise, blankets and even old towels are used as bedding.
“The pen has a concrete floor so we add blankets for them to lay on,” Briere explained.
“And when we have babies in there, kittens or puppies, we use a lot of the blankets with them to give them a place all nice and warm, all bundled in,” he noted.
Cash and food donations also are welcome.
Briere said donors can call the bylaw department at 274-5323 ext. 1218 to either schedule a pick-up or set up a time with him and Arlene “Plum” Byrnes to go check out the new shelter with them.
Donations also can be dropped off at the Civic Centre.
