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Vol. 3 Edition 20
Fundraising time for animal shelter
By Jim Blake jim@chathamvoice.com
Chatham-Kent could have its long-awaited new animal shelter within three years if a $2 million fundraising effort by a local committee is successful. Municipal council gave its unanimous support to replace the 40 plus year old facility on Park Ave. with a new building being sought by the Animal Shelter Fundraising Committee. The committee, co chaired by former councillors Art Stirling and Marjorie Crew, is recommending construction of a 6,000 plus square foot facility with dog kennels, cat rooms, a veterinary treatment room and other up to date features now lacking. It will double the size of the current building through which some 2,000 animals pass through each year. Replacing the existing facility has been discussed for decades, however, despite negotiations with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that supplies animal control for the municipality, no plan was forthcoming.
Stirling and Crew began discussing the need last fall and added Counc. Frank Vercouteren, Dr. Bruce Warwick and Ike Erickson to the group. “We’re only in this position to proceed because Bruce and Frank have kept the fires burning on this issue for years,” Stirling said. “Dr. Warwick has been involved in animal welfare since before the current shelter was built,” Crew said. “We owe people such as he, Frank and Ike a tremendous debt.” Prior to its report to council the group undertook consultations with municipal staff, OSPCA authorities, members of other area groups working in animal care, the local veterinary community, marketing experts, qualified construction project managers, and others. The group toured other animal shelters across the province. They eventually identified a shelter in Bracebridge as a model for Chatham. Robyn Brady, local OSPCA community relations’ coordinator, has said she’s glad to see the issue of animal welfare at the forefront in Chatham-Kent. Continued on page 2
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Walk a Mile heads indoors
Jim Blake/The Chatham Voice
Supporters in the cause to raise awareness of violence against women marched through the Downtown Chatham Centre as part of the seventh annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event. See story on page 2.
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