Campbell River Winner

The BC SPCA Campbell River Branch

The BC SPCA has been protecting and caring for animals as well as advocating on their behalf for over 114 years. Through our 41 locations we provide a wide range of services for nearly 42,000 homeless, abused, injured and abandoned animals across B.C. We are often the first point of contact for matters related to animal welfare including emergency rescues and temporary compassionate care for pets. (This temporary care is a vital service to the elderly who are suddenly hospitalized or as another example, women leaving abusive situations.) With only 1.3% of our operations supported by government funding last year, we are reliant upon community support to help us serve the community.

The BC SPCA in Campbell River: Doing More With Less

For the past 30 years, the Campbell River BC SPCA has been a critical and extraordinarily successful resource in the community. Operating on an annual budget of $250,000, our services include the coordination and adoptions of animals, animal rehabilitation, fostering programs for pets and people in need, emergency care and low-cost spay and neutering.

The BC SPCA in Campbell River services the entire North Island region including Port Hardy to the north, east to Quadra and Cortes Islands and Tahsis to the west. For much of the year, the facility is overcapacity with more cats than space will allow. The small dog kennels limit the number of animals that can be housed. This puts enormous strain on the current facilities and can adversely affect the health of the animals. The staff makes the best of the crowded conditions and volunteers offer their homes, supplies, food, dollars and time. They are committed to helping animals in need and serving the community that relies on their leadership and expertise.

Recognizing that Campbell River has doubled in size since the facility was opened in 1979; we are planning to build a new, modern BC SPCA branch in Campbell River. The new facility will be highly visible and centralized, allowing for a dramatic increase in our effectiveness and efficiency. It will incorporate modern animal welfare features as well as a number of "green" design elements – such as water and energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

We will care for more than 1,500 animals annually and in addition to the services currently offered, we will be able to offer educational programs and workshops for youth and adults, including a work-experience program for the community's youth, school presentations and more support for our youth ambassadors, as well as Campbell River's first BC SPCA Kids Summer Camp. As well, we will be expanding our low-cost spay and neuter services to even more low-income families in the community; playing a key role in preventing and reducing the overpopulation of unwanted pets that currently put a significant strain on city resources. The Campbell River region will be better served by the new facility which will care for more dogs and cats, which aids in the care and adoption to good homes.