SPCA

Michelle Young presenting donations to SPCA Swift Current

On October 15, 2011 the 2nd Annual Memorial Dog Walk in memory of Alysa Young was held here in Swift Current. Alysa’s family has chosen to honor her memory by contributing to animal shelters to assist with daily operations as animal welfare was very near and dear to Alysa’s heart. This year donations totaling $1309.70 were presented to the Shelter by Alysa’s mother, Michelle. As well, several bottles of bleach, boxes of garbage bags, cat food, dog food and many rolls of paper towel were donated. Included in the cash donations was a cheque for $1000.00 from the Green Braes Highland Dancing Club which Alysa danced with for several years. As well a personal donation was received from Sheila Richardson who recently adopted a dog through our Shelter. To Anderson and Company’s lawyers and staff, many thanks for your donations. To everyone that participated and donated to help the Shelter’s animals, thank you.

The day that Michelle and her parents came to the Shelter to present us with the donations, she and I spoke about Alysa and her true compassion and love for animals. Michelle Young emailed the following to me shortly after we met and I would like to share this with you.
“The idea behind the walk was that Lysa’s family and friends would get together and spend the day remembering Lys on the anniversary of her passing on October 13, 2009. Needless to say, Alysa loved all animals, but her dogs and cats always had a special place in her heart. We know that Lys was smiling as she looked down at her family and friends with all of their dogs who were getting an extra long walk that day as well as getting the opportunity to socialize with each other. At the conclusion of the walk, Lysa’s friends and family wrote messages of love and remembrance on balloons and we released them into the heavens in her memory. I know that Lysa was there in spirit because as the balloons floated into the sky, she guided them right toward and over the Swift Current SPCA.”

To Alysa’s family and friends who organized and participated in this very heartfelt event: Your choice to honor Alysa’s memory in this way will continue to have a widespread impact on the animals in need of our extra care and support. We thank you. Although I never had the privilege of meeting her, all that knew her that I have spoke with had great admiration for her and the work she chose to pursue. Because of her rock solid beliefs in animal welfare, the awareness of the need for loving homes for Shelter animals has again been brought into the spotlight. Thank you Alysa for helping to bring more people to the cause. Your spirit continues to help those animals that meant so much to you.

Alysa Young Memorial Dog Walk 2011

Urban Ground’s owner Kaitlin Kennedy-Thomson generously offered to hold a fundraiser for us again this year. Coffee was available for a donation to our Shelter and a dollar from each London Fog was also donated to our Shelter. Our grand total from that single day was $684.23. We are very grateful to Kaitlin and her excellent staff for helping out the animals of our community through this event and the ongoing awareness this has brought to our Shelter. This is the second year that Urban Ground has supported our efforts. Southwest TV News attended this day and their coverage follows:

(Moved from home page)

	When a couple in California found Carlisle, an 11-month old Irish terrier/wirehaired terrier mix, at our Shelter here in Swift Current, they just had to have him! Looking like their previous dog, they fell in love with him straight away and before long, Carlisle was jetting off to start his new life. In early August, Carlisle boarded a plane in Regina to begin his 11-hour journey to Alameda, California, where he received an enthusiastic greeting from his new family. All reports are he’s settled in just fine! Now that’s a success story!

I would like to say THANK YOU for all the support from the community throughout the year to date. We are so thankful for all the animals that have found their furever homes and for all the ones currently waiting, as we know that somewhere there is a home just right for all of them.

We are thankful for all the donations, staff, volunteers and all the words of encouragement as we go through every day challenges and growing pains.

Mostly we are thankful to have a shelter in our community when so many don’t. It may not be perfect but it’s ours for Swift Current and area. We should all be proud and always remember it’s value.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Thanks to the wonderful support of our community our foot traffic has dramatically increased and as a result we are requiring extra staff. If you are a genuine individual who is interested in being part of an enthusiastic and dynamic team, love caring for animals, have strong interpersonal skills and really want to have a positive effect on our community, drop into the Shelter with a resume and references. You may also email your resume and references to us at swiftcurrentspca@sasktel.net. Here is what we are searching for in our new co-worker:

Description:

Duties: Keep the kennel environment, including kitchen and storage areas, clean and organized. Clean and maintain floors, windows, kennels, etc. Dispose of trash, recyclable materials, and animal waste. Perform routine housekeeping tasks such as laundry, dishwashing, etc. Clean and maintain other areas, as directed. Report any supply stock needs or kennel maintenance issues to Manager or designate. Assist with health care of animals as directed, including proper documentation. Assist fellow employees as needed. Follow safety and sanitation policies throughout facility in order to maintain standards of excellence.

Administrative tasks may include: Greet walk-in customers who want to drop off or adopt a pet. Locate the appropriate staff member to help any visitors looking to adopt, or drop off, a pet. Handle telephone calls and voice mail in a professional and courteous manner. Enter client information into a spreadsheet, answer emails and might help with writing emails for the shelter’s mailing list. Scheduling veterinary services. Data sheet and shelter software input.

Qualifications: Previous housekeeping experience and experience with dogs and cats an asset. Must be able to work independently as well as part of a team environment. Must have good verbal and written communication and prioritization skills. Must be detail oriented and organized. Ability to safely lift up to 100 lbs. Ability to work closely with animal hair/dander. Must have a positive attitude, excellent customer service skills and be eager to learn. Basic computer skills are essential as well as competent basic math skills. Successful applicants must supply a criminal record check available through the local RCMP. When requesting record check indicate that it is for employment with a local non-profit organization.

Skills and Abilities

Work Setting
– Animal shelter
Specific Animal Care Skills
– Assist with inoculation and treatment of animals
– Clean and disinfect cages, pens, aquariums, kennels, runs, stall and enclosures
– Monitor and document animal behaviour
– Prepare food and feed animals
Pet Grooming Experience
– Bathing/shampooing
– Ear cleaning
– Nail clipping
Weight Handling
– Up to 45 kg (100 lbs)
Essential Skills
– Significant use of memory
– Continuous learning
– Daily computer use
– Finding information
– Job task planning and organizing
– Critical thinking
– Decision making
– Problem solving
– Working with others
– Oral communication
– Writing
– Numeracy
– Document use
– Reading text
Animal Care Experience
– Domestic animals/pets (cats, kittens, puppies, dogs, etc.)
Additional Skills
– Keep records of animals treated
– Maintain inventory and order supplies
– Supervise helpers
Type of Pets
– All breeds of dogs
– Cats
Credentials (certificates, licences, memberships, courses, etc.)
– Not required