A Volunteer Appreciation Night was held on Tuesday, March 12th as a way to show gratitude to the many people that helped make the Pop-Up Rescue a success.
The Pop-Up Rescue began at the end of January when over 100 dogs were rescued from a northern Saskatchewan community to a temporary location in Martensville, where they were then moved to a rescue, a foster home, or adopted. In February, a second round of dogs were brought in from the same community, and in total, approximately 177 dogs were taken in through this process.
Without this intervention, these dogs would not have lived long enough to have a chance at a new life.
With an undertaking of this size, volunteers were a necessity to ensure that all of these animals were cared for, whether it be through walks, feeding, bathing, transporting, cleaning, and so much more.
Through this venture, not only did the dogs in the care of the Pop-Up Rescue receive a new chance at life, but the volunteers gained so much as well; through lasting bonds created with the dogs, through new friendships formed and the opportunity to be part of something incredible.
“We can’t even begin to explain how grateful we are to each and every person that stepped up to help throughout the past month. The amount of support that we received is nothing short of a miracle. We had so many people come in to help care for these dogs, drop-off donations, wash laundry, bring food for volunteers, help transport the dogs, and so much more. It is impossible to put into words how much of an impact each of these contributions had on this venture,” Kristine O’Brien of Paws Republic Centre for Pets, stated.
Although the majority of the dogs have already been moved into new locations, the work isn’t done. O’Brien explained that they plan to keep moving forward and providing support to the community the dogs were rescued from.
There is currently a ‘Pop-Up Rescue Project’ Facebook page, which provides regular information about fundraisers being held to help support vet bills that have accumulated through this process, updates on the dogs and more. There is also a website currently being developed to help keep people updated on the process going forward.
