The Museum at Campbell River, as part of the current temporary exhibit Animals Among Us, will present an Open House on Saturday, March 22, from 1-3 p.m.
The theme of the Open House is animal care in our community. Local organizations will be presenting information about the valuable work they do in Campbell River in protecting and caring for animals. In attendance will be the SPCA and Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society, both of which will present a talk on their work. The SPCA will present from 1:30-2 p.m., followed by Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society from 2 pm to 2:30 pm. Information booths will also be on display.
The SPCA, or Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, mission is “To protect and enhance the quality of life for domestic, farm and wild animals in B.C.” The society was created under the auspices of the provincial Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in 1895, and is the only animal welfare organization in B.C. which has the authority to enforce laws relating to animal cruelty and to prepare cases for Crown Counsel for the prosecution of individuals who inflict suffering on animals. In 2013 the BC SPCA provided a wide range of services, including in-shelter care and free or subsidized outreach services to care for and assist 41,691 animals in distress and need through the society’s 42 locations across BC. The Society has 457 staff members (full-time, part-time and auxiliary) and nearly 4,000 volunteers throughout the province.
Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society (MARS) is a designated wildlife rehabilitation centre with federal and provincial permits to rescue and rehabilitate native wildlife.
It has operated on three acres in Merville since forming the society in 1995. It is a volunteer-run charitable organization with over 100 active volunteers involved in fundraising for operating costs, educational programs and conservation initiatives. Each year the society answers over 1500 phone calls from all over the North Island dealing with wildlife issues. This results in an annual caseload of up to 500 cases dealing with up to 80 species. Conservation work includes maintaining two local regional parks, trumpeter swan population monitoring, Bald Eagle Nest Tree inventory and monitoring, Avian Influenza and West Nile Virus and emerging wildlife zoonotic disease studies.
Presently they have been studying the foraging preference and locations of Great Blue Herons. Funded primarily by donations and some corporate and government grants, the society depends upon volunteers and the local communities to support their work. A live ambassador and mascot will be part of the day.
Join the Museum on March 22 to learn more about Animal Care in our Community. If you are an animal organization that would like to join them, call the Museum at 287-3103.
