The kind ladies of McLeese Lake were greeted by a warm, tearful welcome in the parking lot of the Kelowna BC SPCA.
After driving more than five hours to the Okanagan to make a special delivery, Gale Lamothe arrived with many donations for the shelter in tow.
“We have 50 dog beds that we handmade in McLeese Lake,” Lamothe said. “The community let us use the hall, and I had miles of fabric and just put word on Facebook and everyone rallied together and within 13 hours (spread over) two days at the hall it was a wrap.”
RELATED: Truckload of homemade dog beds headed to BC SPCA shelters
The dog beds, food and other supplies will go to help the 20 pups currently in the Kelowna shelter’s care, following a seizure of more than 45 dogs from a property near Williams Lake.
Sean Hogan, branch manager of the shelter, put out a call for donations and food last week to media.
His call was not only heard by locals, but by those in the community where the seizure took place.
“This is amazing, and again speaks to the big hearts and generous hearts that there are in the province that have really reached out to our branch and around us; to help these dogs and all animals we help at the BC SPCA.”
RELATED: BC SPCA seizes 46 dogs near Williams Lake
Lamothe explained the communities of 100 Mile, Williams Lake and McLeese Lake were rattled to hear of the mistreatment of these dogs, and wanted to help them.
“Everybody is really upset, everybody is really concerned. Everybody’s hearts are bleeding and it is a really tough situation,” she said.
Hogan admires the support and warmth these communities have shown.
“I think it’s beautiful, it’s exactly in so many ways, I don’t have the expectation but in a way I do, because I think kindness is the biggest thing we can put out in the world.”
RELATED: BC SPCA under pressure to care for seized dogs
The dogs have made some behavioural improvements since coming into the shelter over one week ago. Hogan said some dogs are still having difficulties but there have been some ‘bright lights’ among the pooches.
“I always tell them to focus on the bright lights. We do see a lot of darkness in the world and that’s what this shows to people who are doing what they can with their hands and with their hearts because it brings light back into the world.”
Thanks to this generous donation from the Cariboo region and the donations from others in Kelowna, the BC SPCA is now only looking for gift card donations to grocery stores and for financial donations to help make these dogs happy and healthy.
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