Think big: The dream of a new SPCA shelter in Happy Valley-Goose Bay
Shelter manager Lee Hill: “Most donations come from out of town”
Text and photos: Bernadette Calonego
Cats at the shelter
You find the SPCA shelter in Goose Bay (Labrador) in a small white building on Winnipeg Road, not far from the base, between Husky House and Universal Helicopters.
Lee Hill is the driving force behind the shelter and her energy is infectious. This morning, she is waiting for a dog to be brought in, while she is cuddling a cat in her office at the shelter. Then she laughs as she sees a dog doing strange things: “Stop humping that doll”, she tells a shortlegged mutt who tries his luck unsuccessfully with a fluffy toy. The dog greets visitors affectionately when they enter the barred area from the office.
Lee Hill in the office at the SPCA shelter
There are three dogs in the shelter, one of them a husky pup with already huge paws who loves to play. Several dogs are in foster homes.
Juanita Bowen, a volunteer, points out the dog beds in the very clean compartments, covered with soft colourful blankets. She tries to make it as cozy as possible for these dogs, hoping that they will soon find a home. The dogs also have a run outside.
Lee Hill with stray dog
One small room in the shelter is designated for the cats. Through cat doors, they can go outside to a fenced in area or they can take the other cat door into Lee`s office. “This is the most cats we`ve ever had”, she says. Seven, to be exact. Four more are in foster care.
Lee started her work for abandoned animals 15 years ago. The SPCA shelter in Goose Bay opened in December 2000. All this time, Lee had a full time job at Bell Aliant – for 34 years! Her entire spare time is dedicated to the shelter. “It eats you up”, she says candidly. But observing her, you feel that she could not live without her animals. She used to spend every weekend and her holidays working for the pets and strays that are brought in. “To run a shelter, you really need three to four totally dedicated people”, she says. Dedicated like her.
Now, fortunately, she has a paid volunteer to help her: a young woman named Juanita Bowen.
Lee Hill and Juanita Bowen
Juanita is paid by a government grant, the NL Works Program for people who are not EI eligible. The SPCA in Goose Bay pays the wages for Juanita upfront, the government reimburses them 5.40 dollars per hour. That is about half of the wages.
In the summer, Lee gets summer students. It is a constant challenge to find enough volunteers. People`s interest in helping the shelter comes and goes in waves. “Sometimes we are really desperate”, says Lee. “We have our up and down times.”
Right now, she worries about a pregnant dog in a town near Goose Bay, a stray that had been fed by a woman. But for the last few days, the dog has not turned up. “I think she gave birth and is hiding”, Lee says. She might go looking for her.
Kennels at the shelter
Lee has ambitious plans: She would like to build a new SPCA shelter in Goose Bay because she needs more space for the animals. For months, she has been looking for donations. So far she and her helpers managed to save a little over 60000 dollars through fundraising. They have to be creative with ideas. “With online auctions, we raised 6000 dollars”, Lee says proudly. But the construction of the new shelter will cost about 200000 dollars.
The new building will have room for more animals, ten kennels, but it will also require more funds: “We will need three people in order to stay open.” That means yearly costs of about 65000 to 75000 dollars.
Lee will need generous people, like the woman who pays the shelter`s hydro bills every month.
Kitten for adoption
Right now, vet bills alone can be 7000 dollars a year, 6000 to 7000 dollars are spent on food and litter. “We are just covering our costs”, Lee says. Some local businesses donate money (and some big companies in Labrador don`t) but “we get most of our big donations from out of town”: companies like Exit Realty in St. John`s that are committed to raise 100000 dollars for the new shelter.
The charity Litters `n Critters Animal Rescue in Nova Scotia is also a huge help for the SPCA in Goose Bay, Lee says: “Every year we ship 100 to 150 puppies to them. They operate on foster homes.”
Volunteer Juanita Bowen with stray dog
Maybe some donor will read this story and have an open heart for the almost super-human efforts Lee and her helpers put into improving the fate of so many cats and dogs in Labrador.
Thank you, Lee, Juanita and all the volunteers for not giving up!
And of course, you can adopt the animals in the pictures.
- Husky pup for adoption
Click on the SPCA Goose Bay Website here.
Litters n` Critters in Nova Scotia. Click here.
