The Victoria Humane Society (VHS) does incredible work to help save animals and connect them with people and now they will be able to do so much more thanks to a generous donation.
VHS was given a $2 million donation from Craig Mearns and the Mearns Family Foundation.
They say this money will be used to acquire 38-acres on which to build a new rescue and adoption centre.
“This generous donation marks a pivotal moment in our ongoing mission to save and rehome animals in need across the Greater Victoria region,” says Penny Stone, Executive Director of VHS.
“Without the ability to purchase this land, our dream of transforming animal rescue and adoption would not happen.”
Mearns is a well-known philanthropist who served on North Saanich’s municipal council from 2010 to 2014, when he did not receive enough votes to be re-elected.
“This is a small group doing great things with very little resources,” said Mearns. “They needed a permanent place and I wanted to help with that.”
“I believe what the Victoria Humane Society does for animals is worth investing in and the money stays here on the island, it does not go to a head office somewhere.”
VHS says their tragic reality is not having enough space or resources to accommodate every animal being brought to them for rescue—turning away between five and seven dogs daily.
Many dogs who come into their care need space in order to have their behaviour analyzed as well as time to decompress.
Some even require rehabilitation and training before they can go to their forever homes, according to VHS.
On top of these limitations, the organization says they frequently take in up to 70 animals at once from remote communities.
“While puppies, cats, and kittens can often go directly into foster care, older dogs are left behind due to potential behavioural issues that need to be assessed,” said VHS in a media release.
“These older dogs deserve a chance, and the new facility will enable VHS to provide them with the care and evaluation they need.”
After receiving the $2 million gift from Mearns, the land has been purchased and VHS’ next move is to design and build a facility that can meet their complex needs.
In order to do this, VHS is launching their ‘Building Love’ fundraising campaign tohelp fund the new build.
They hope to begin accepting animals into the new facility by 2025.
“With the support of the Mearns Family Foundation, the Victoria Humane Society is poised to create a brighter future for animals in our community,” said Marie Zirk, VHS Board Member.
Those interested in supporting VHS can learn about the Building Love campaign online, here.
