As holiday cheer spreads throughout the community, furry friends are also in need during this time of year.
“All of our animals have landed themselves on the nice list and have been really great all year round,” said Manager of fundraising and events, Kara Dowhaniuk.
For a second year, The Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary is holding a fundraising campaign to help support the Wolfdogs and the sanctuaries operations. The campaign is called “Pack the Stockings,” and will run until Jan. 8.
Inspiration around the campaign came from the desire to celebrate the sanctuaries wolf dogs and provide Christmas cheer.
“We want to be able to provide them with presents, but then also the monetary donations to be able to start off the new year on the right paw,” Dowhaniuk said. “It's kind of our way and the community’s way to be able to give.”
Being a non-profit organization, the sanctuary specializes in rescuing wolfdogs and providing them with a second chance at life. According to Dowhaniuk, they hope to provide the animals with the highest care, ensuring them a good quality of living.
A major focus of this year’s campaign is monetary donations, as the sanctuary hopes to raise $65,000 for their rescue and recovery pens.
“This is kind of the focal point that we're really trying to work towards this year,” Dowhaniuk said. “A revolutionary enclosure for the sanctuary where we can have animals who are undergoing medical treatment or are new rescues where they have a space to be stress free.”
The sanctuary also has an Amazon wish list for those looking for alternative ways to donate.
Dowhaniuk said those not wanting to order from Amazon can also find wish lists of specific stores and go pick up items in person.
“You can actually drop them off at the sanctuary and put them underneath our tree so those wolf dogs can wake up to them on Christmas day,” Dowhaniuk said.
Dowhaniuk said the sanctuary relies heavily on community involvement. She said they are thankful for the generosity the community has given them.
“Without them, the sanctuary wouldn’t technically exist, and we wouldn't be able to provide these animals a second chance at life,” she said.
A lot of the money fundraised, and revenue from ticket sales, goes directly back to the care that the animals need. Dowhaniuk added it also helps the sanctuary rescue additional animals.
Looking ahead at the new year, the sanctuary is hoping to be involved more with the community. Dowhaniuk said they hope the new enclosure will also help them with any necessary rescues in 2024.
“The building of new enclosures is a big one that we're looking at,” she said. “Some other things too are building enrichment inside every single enclosure.”
