This is part of a year-long ‘Love for Local’ series called NB365: portraits of New Brunswick entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations. Huddle is a media partner with Love for Local. Today, we hear from Karen McGeean of the Fredericton SPCA.

WE ARE MORE THAN JUST AN ANIMAL SHELTER. WE ARE AN ANIMAL ADOPTION CENTRE THAT FOCUSES ON THE HOLISTIC HEALTH OF EVERY ANIMAL THAT COMES THROUGH OUR DOORS. WE DO NOT EUTHANIZE FOR SPACE OR AGE AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP EACH ANIMAL REACH ITS BEST POTENTIAL FOR ADOPTION.

We use various treatments to help pets thrive and flourish, be it water therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy or behavioural work. We care about what is the best outcome for each animal and that makes us unique.

We partner with local businesses that either we seek out or they seek us out. We hold interactive events outside now due to Covid and local businesses are eager to help out with donations for auctions or space to hold events.

We also hold a WetNose Wednesday edition with The Wave on the first Wednesday of every month to highlight a pet up for adoption. We have had to pivot our fundraising efforts online (we are 99 percent donation-based) instead of events and we also had to be resourceful with how people could adopt animals with limited interaction.

We recognized some gaps we had and found ways to work around them which in hindsight has actually been a blessing for us. People are so supportive of animals that are in need and we are very grateful that they continue to do so during some of the most challenging times we have faced.

Local businesses make a difference because we are a community, a family, and supporting each other through good times as well as bad times is what we do. We lift each other up so that we all flourish and make our community thrive!