Animal Advocates Watchdog
Turtle Gardens fund drive for new wheels
By Katie Cushing - Smithers Interior News - June 04, 2008
Penny and Isaac are two of the remaining dogs for sale, rescued from starvation last November. Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue is putting out the call for the community to help them purchase a used van.
All but eight of the 43 starving dogs rescued from a Bulkley Valley residence last November have been placed in new homes, but the job of the Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue is far from over.
“It’s been a very busy year, with a lot more dogs being abandoned by people leaving for new jobs [and] security,” said Turtle Garden’s Yvette Labatte. “We are almost at number 100 for this year.”
Labatte said she has high hopes for the shelter’s Low Cost Spay and Neuter Program that will soon make a difference in the number of abandoned animals she sees.
“We put $6,000 into the program this year,” she said.
The Topley-based no-kill, non-profit shelter always seems to be short on funds and supplies, however — a problem that two supporters on the Lower Mainland hope to remedy.
“Many donations in dog food, used blankets, towels, etc. come from down here,” said shelter supporter Cynda Lee. “Stan Labatte has been hauling the food up, but their small van is not built to haul heavy loads. The transmission goes, the motor dies, they end up paying more in repair bills, and so on.”
Lee and fellow supporter Jude Taylor have come up with a fundraising project with the end goal of buying Turtle Gardens a new van.
“A good used one would cost somewhere over $6,000,” Lee said. “Any leftover money would go towards building a much-needed new fence.”
In order to raise money for the new van, Lee and Taylor will be holding a raffle beginning later this month.
Currently, they are seeking donations as well as people willing to sell tickets through their place of work.
So far, the response has been good, Lee said. A seven day all-inclusive resort stay has been donated (Lee refuses to divulge the location of the resort just yet, but said it is somewhere sunny) as has a romantic weekend getaway.
“I have about $600 in gas cards, plus a dozen of other types of gift cards,” said Lee. “I also have gift baskets and some handmade quilts.”
More information can be found at www.turtlegardens.org.
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