2005 News & Events
Alberta Lottery Fund Awards $215,000 to Cochrane Humane Society
December 16, 2005 – Just today the Cochrane Humane Society received a wonderful Christmas Gift of $215,000 from the Alberta Lottery Fund Community Facility Enhancement Program!
Banff-Cochrane MLA Janis Tarchuk presents the cheque to Cochrane Humane Society
representatives Jack Tennant and Tracy Keith
This grant was awarded to assist with the Cochrane Humane Society’s petsDOmatter Capital Campaign for a much needed new animal shelter and has taken us another critical step forward in our fundraising campaign! With this generous contribution, the petsDOmatter Capital Campaign has now raised just over $1.3 million, and comes at a wonderful time of the year, what a fantastic Christmas Gift for the animals! The Christmas season at the Shelter is a very busy time of year with returned foster animals and cold weather rescues, this Community Facility Enhancement Program grant brings us closer to the reality of a much needed new facility.
Plans are currently underway to raise money for a new, larger animal shelter since the demand for the current Cochrane shelter’s services is overwhelming. The Cochrane Humane Society’s petsDOmatter Capital Campaign hopes to raise $1.7 million for a new, larger, rural animal shelter. The current dilapidated shelter is now continuously operating at maximum capacity and is desperately running out of space for the animals and struggling to keep up with the continuous growth of Cochrane and surrounding areas.
Please consider what you can offer the animals at the Cochrane Humane Society
this Christmas Season. If you are interested in contributing to the petsDOmatter
Capital Campaign please visit us online at www.cochranehumane.ca or drop
by the Shelter.
Cochrane Humane Society receives Business of the Year from Cochrane & District Chamber of Commerce!
The following appeared as a letter to the editor:
Headline Reads:
Humane Society Honoured by Award
Dear Editor:
On behalf of the Cochrane Humane Society staff, board of directors, and
volunteers, I would like to thank the Cochrane and District Chamber of Commerce
for their efforts to recognize Cochrane people, businesses, and organizations
for their outstanding contributions to our community.
Being recognized as the Business of the Year is a unique honour for the Cochrane Humane Society, as a charity working with limited resources. We strive to do our best to deliver valuable services and programs that contribute to the quality of lifestyle that Cochrane offers its residents, and that we all enjoy.
Our successes at the Cochrane Humane Society are made possible with the support of our community and dedicated staff and volunteers; therefore we are proud to share this honour with all of you.
Thank You!
Tracy Keith, Executive Director, Cochrane Humane Society
Tedi's Legacy Gala
Tedi's Legacy Gala was held at the Lynx Ridge Golf Course on Sunday November 20th in support of the Cochrane Humane Society. This event was sponsored by Images Models Inc., Tumbleweedz Clothing Inc., and Angles Hair & Aesthetics with all proceeds towards the Cochrane Humane Society. The event was planned and organized by students Tegan Smyth, Rea Tarvydas, and Jocelyn Obreiter from the Applied Nonprofit Studies Bisset School of Business through Mount Royal College. They did a fabulous job in planning and delivering a successful event!
The evening included a silent auction, live music by John Dunn, a fashion show featuring Tumbleweedz Clothing, and a buffet dinner. A slide show featuring the current Cochrane Humane Society facility and resident animals was also presented at the event, prepared by Noelle Hjelte, a fourth year photography student from Alberta College of Art and Design.
A very special thank you to Pat Collins, owner of Images Models Inc., for creating and directing this event in memory of her beloved dog, Tedi. Pat's dedication and hard work was truly a tribute to Tedi, and we were honored to have been chosen to join Pat and friends in remembering such a special little dog.
Tedi's Legacy raised close to $12,000 for the animals at the Shelter!
Thank you to all involved in this project, what a wonderfully heartwarming
initiative!
Petro-Canada Donation
Thank you to Petro-Canada for their generous donation in support of the
Cochrane Humane Society petsDOmatter Capital Campaign! Petro-Canada donated
$27,500 towards the new facility and will be naming an adoption room, a dog
kennel and a cat kennel! To date, we have raised $1.1 Million towards the
new building - Thank You Petro-Canada.
Labour Day Parade
The Cochrane Labour Day Parade was once again a great event put on by the Town of Cochrane! Cochrane Humane Society staff, volunteers and shelter dogs proudly strutted their stuff amongst the horses, bands and floats.
The weather was beautiful and the parade had a great turn out. The shelter
dogs were all in top form - proud to be representing the Society and all
the hard work that they do. The dogs tried their very best to wiggle their
way into the hearts and homes of any interested spectators. Mutt Strut brochures
were hand delivered to all of the canine spectators and their families to
encourage them to come out and raise pledges for the operational costs of
the Shelter on September 10th at Mitford Park! A fun day full of community
spirit was had by all who participated.
Large Dog Houses for Sale!
August 31, 2005 - Beautifully Handcrafted Dog Houses built and donated by
students to raise money for the Cochrane Humane Society! Please call the
shelter at 932-2072 or visit us to purchase yours today! $100 ea.
Sorry, the dog houses are now sold out.
ATCO Gas Donation
June 9, 2005 - Thank you to ATCO Gas for their $5,000 donation towards the
petsDOmatter Capital Campaign. ATCO Gas will be naming a 'Buddy Den' and
'Kitty Corner' in the new facility!
Cochrane & District Community Foundation and The Calgary Foundation Grant Award
April 14, 2005 - Our thanks to the Cochrane & District Community Foundation
and The Calgary Foundation for providing a grant towards our Capital Campaign.
CIP Grant Award
March 17, 2005 - Thank you to the Alberta Lottery Fund, Community Initiatives Program for awarding us a grant for promotions and marketing.
Animals Seized Finding New Homes
January 20, 2005 – The surviving, abandoned animals in the care of the Cochrane Humane Society that were seized from a home outside of Cochrane on January 4th are all doing well and some are now ready for adoption. As space becomes available at the crowded shelter and their health improves, the animals are being brought in and placed for adoption. Two of the nineteen cats have found new homes.
To date we have not successfully either identified or located the rightful owner of these animals or learned the exact circumstances surrounding the abandonment of the animals. If the criteria are met to press charges we will take action to see that charges are laid.
This crisis situation has only strengthened the resolve of the petsDOmatter Capital Campaign to raise the remaining funds to build a new, larger animal shelter in Cochrane. The situation has demonstrated once again how the current shelter is inadequate, rundown and more space is desperately needed. To donate to the Campaign, please contact the shelter at 932-2072 or visit our website at www.cochranehumane.ca.
44 Animals Seized From Home Near Cochrane
January 10, 2005 - On Tuesday, January 4th the Cochrane Humane Society assisted Cochrane RCMP with an animal seizure at a home outside of Town. The 44 animals were abandoned without food or water and the Society took into its custody 11 dogs, 20 cats and 13 chickens.
The animals were found in poor health, dehydrated, hungry and cold. The chickens were being kept in a tiny shed and the cats and dogs were located inside the house with just a space heater for warmth as the house did not have heat. The landlord discovered the abandoned animals in the home and contacted officials for assistance.
The 11 dogs and 12 chickens (1 chicken died) have now been placed in foster homes and the 19 cats are being cared for at an off-site, make-shift shelter because there is no room at the already full Cochrane Humane Society shelter. One cat had to be humanely euthanized due to illness. The make-shift facility is not ideal as there is no running water and the set up requires that staff and volunteers make multiple, daily visits to care for and medicate the animals.
The current shelter is almost always overflowing and in situations such as this seizure, there is just nowhere for the animals to go. The shelter is in need of costly work to repair safety hazards, the roof is leaking and there are continuous plumbing problems amongst other things.
The seized animals are recovering from various illnesses, dehydration and starvation and are not yet ready for adoption. The Cochrane shelter desperately needs to make space available for these rescued animals as the foster homes and make-shift shelter are a very temporary solution.
For more information or to make a donation please contact the shelter at 932-2072. To make a donation online please go to our website at www.cochranehumane.ca.