Peterborough, ON (October 17, 2019) – Our Pet Project, the Peterborough Humane Society’s campaign to build its first-of-its-kind Animal Care Centre is well underway, with yet another donor pledging $25,000 towards the new Centre, which will set a new standard for animal welfare in Canada. The Leask family was inspired to give by their son, Todd, who is a dedicated supporter of the Humane Society, who has been walking dogs at the Humane Society for over five years.

The Leask family did a tour of the existing facility this past summer and were impressed with the work and dedication of the staff and volunteers, despite the limitations of the building. “Even under these conditions they do a yeoman’s job of caring for the many animals they take in, care for and then rehome into suitable homes. We were pleased they spay and neuter all animals prior to putting them up for adoption, thus controlling the pet overpopulation in our region. It is obvious the present quarters are over-crowded and proper animal care is a challenge”, says Bob Leask.

Designed by Peterborough-based Lett Architects, the new Peterborough Animal Care Centre will sit on 20 acres of land on Technology Drive and will be a Canadian first, setting the standard for animal shelters in Canada. The purpose-built facility will be home to the Humane Society’s new Adoption and Education Centre, which is designed with animals’ well-being in mind, providing more space, natural light and reducing stress. The space will be open and inviting, serving as a community hub and allowing for expansion of the Humane Society’s outreach, education and advocacy programs, including plans for youth programming and educational partnerships with both Trent University and Fleming College.

“Based on what we witnessed on tour, including a description and architects drawing of the new facilities; and feedback from our son Todd, we decided we needed to do something to help get this proposed new facility through to fruition, as soon as possible. The biggest need was funding. We therefore have committed to a monthly charitable donation, amounting to a total of $25,000. We are confident this money will all be put to a worthy cause,” says Leask.

The Leask family are avid dog lovers and are particularly excited about the Canada’s first Provincial Dog Rehab Centre (in partnership with the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society). The centre’s dog behaviour specialists will create individual rehabilitation programs for dogs needing more support because of abuse, neglect or trauma.

In addition to the Provincial Dog Rehab Centre, the Peterborough Animal Care Centre will also be home to the region’s only accessible Spay/Neuter Clinic. The Humane Society anticipates that over 5,000 pets and their owners will benefit from this service each year, reducing the number of unwanted pets in our province. In August, the Peterborough Humane Society co-hosted a mobile spay/neuter clinic with the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society which saw 48 animals spayed and neutered, preventing an estimated 2,000 potentially unwanted kittens and puppies.

“We received over 300 inquiries for the spay/neuter weekend and saw people driving from as far as two hours away to make use of the animal wellness services offered. We also found that over 95% of the people who utilized these services did not have a regular vet. We encouraged all pet owners to build a relationship with their local vet and to book a post-surgery follow-up with their vet. The overwhelming response we received for this service reinforced the need for an accessible spay/neuter clinic in our region,” says Shawn Morey, Executive Director at the Peterborough Humane Society.

Fundraising for the new Peterborough Animal Care Centre is now well over the halfway mark, with several families and businesses pledging their contributions in the last couple of months. There has also been a significant investment of $1.68 million from the City of Peterborough, $2 million from the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society, and $50,000 from Community Futures Peterborough, to name but a few.

“We are excited to be one step closer to building our greatly needed new Centre. The philanthropic leadership of the Leask family and others will help us to reach our goal and make this vision to lead the way in animal welfare, a reality. I encourage people to join us and make this their Pet Project.”