SCARS is expanding to Morinville, planning a major fundraiser

Above: Troy Trudgeon, SCARS Chief Technology Officer, poses by the reception desk in the under-renovation Morinville facility. SCARs Morinville location will open for intakes in early October. – Stephen Dafoe Photo

by Stephen Dafoe

Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS), which takes in pets that are unwanted or slated for euthanasia, has recently expanded operations to Morinville, taking over a 3800-square-foot facility next to the Morinville Veterinary Clinic.

The Morinville rescue centre opens in early October for animal intake and are currently seeking volunteers to help care for the animals.

“We collect pets from remote area dog pounds and veterinary clinics that act as the pound. We also take in stray and abandoned pets, many of which are sick or injured,” explained SCARS Communications Coordinator Lori Trudgeon.

Every animal is given veterinary and behavioural assessments and needed medical or rehabilitation care. Each animal is also spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.

“We find loving homes for more than 2,000 pets every year. We also have programs to provide spay-neuter-return and pet shelters to rural communities that lack pet services,” Trudgeon said.

More space in Morinville

When SCARS decided to expand operations, they wanted a location to help connect their Athabasca-area intake facility to volunteers and adopters in the Edmonton area.

“We found the perfect fit with the vacant kennel space next door to the veterinary clinic in Morinville,” Trudgeon said. “It needed some updates, but much of what we were looking for was already in place. Plus, we see Morinville as a community with caring people who might enjoy volunteer opportunities to help pets in need.”

Trudgeon said adoptions have slowed in 2022 while the requests for intakes have increased.

“We need more adoptions and more space to house animals. This 3,800 square-foot facility with adjacent outdoor space provides us with new options,” Trudgeon said, noting the new Morinville facility expands SCARS’ ability to accommodate urgent requests for animal intake.

Trudgeon said the facility could help them with a late-night request to help an animal with a litter where a foster home is not readily available, and also the public with a place to meet adoptable animals by appointment. Additionally, the new Morinville location offers a quiet place for animals to recover from surgeries and new opportunities for volunteers to interact with animals.

Fundraiser coming up

But all of this costs money, making fundraising an essential component of SCARS work.

On Saturday, Nov. 5, SCARS will run its biggest fundraiser —Critters & Cocktails, a Grease-themed dinner, raffle, silent auction and puppy parade. The event occurs at the Italian Culture Centre in Edmonton, with doors opening at 5 p.m. and dinner served at 7 p.m.

“Our annual themed gala has been online since the beginning of the pandemic, so we are excited to return to an in-person event,” Trudgeon said. “It’s an opportunity to have a lot of fun while helping animals. What could be better than connecting with like-minded people while enjoying great food and bidding on quality auction items? We always have a huge selection of items.”

Tickets for Critters and Cocktails are available online at: https://events.scarscare.ca/all-events/critters-cocktails/.

The event has sold out in past years, so people are encouraged to get tickets soon. SCARS is also looking for auction items and event sponsorships for the event.

SCARS also welcomes donations to support daily operations. For more information, visit https://www.scarscare.ca/donate/.

For those interested in volunteering, the next online volunteer orientation is Saturday, Oct. 22.