TORONTO -- Thanks to a $250,000 donation, Nunavut鈥檚 only humane society is now about halfway to its $1 million fundraising goal to replace its old facility.
鈥淗umans can be so generous and it really caught us by surprise,鈥� Iqaluit Humane Society president Janelle Kennedy told CTVNews on Sunday. The current building, housed on property owned by the city, is now condemned because of a mould problem and will be torn down in the spring or summer of 2021.
The hefty donation to the society's Million Dollar Mission building fund was thanks to Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation -- which has offered a helping hand to the humane society from time to time in the past.
鈥淲e weren鈥檛 sure what to expect but their generosity surpassed everything we could鈥檝e possibly imagined,鈥� Kennedy said. 鈥淭he one thing I did say to the Margolis family immediately is 鈥榯hank you for seeing us.鈥� .. it's been very humbling鈥�
Canada鈥檚 northernmost humane society has been around for 13 years and re-homes up to 700 pets every year, in many cases, to other parts of the country. The modest space, the size of a bachelor apartment, is currently home to 13 dogs and one cat but can only house up to 28 to 30 animals.
鈥淲e are stunned, humbled and down a few boxes of tissues. To everyone who has donated so far, your kindness has been matched with kindness,鈥� the group said on its , saying 鈥淭he holidays came early.鈥�
鈥淲e cannot thank them enough for the continued support and this unbelievable act of generosity towards our shelter," the post continued, giving a special shoutout to Eric Margolis, and including a photo of a cuddly rescue pup named George.
In total, the for the humane society has currently raised $490,714 so far.
GETTING TO A MILLION DOLLARS IS STILL THE GOAL
With this donation, Kennedy explained they theoretically could build a barebones facility to simply 鈥渉old animals and continue the basics of our operations so we don鈥檛 have to close our doors.鈥�
But they鈥檙e not shrinking away from their $1-million goal now because they want a desperately needed facility to serve the entire territory. She compared it to seeing the sun poking out on a cloudy day at the beach.
鈥淲e had this bigger dream 鈥� that we could actually establish an animal rescue and homing facility here in Iqaluit for the territory that is comparable, at least almost on par with what other provinces and territories enjoy, you know?鈥� Kennedy said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not operating out of one-bedroom apartment-condemned buildings. They have proper facilities.鈥�
She said they鈥檙e 鈥渦sed to managing its expectations and 鈥� making do with what we鈥檝e got,鈥� sharing that she recently fashioned a discarded tin box into a makeshift phone holder.
Kennedy explained a $1-million facility will be able to include spaces for animal housing, first aid, grooming, adoption and veterinary checks. And she added that it鈥檚 a cheaper option to build it all at once, rather than erecting a parred-down building that鈥檒l need to be expanded upon later.
But she fully acknowledges that even a million-dollar space will be modest. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e aiming to do it all and to do it right.鈥�
SOLDIERING ON
鈥淭here are so many things going on in the world that needs our attention and our care 鈥� and that couldn鈥檛 be more true in the north,鈥� Kennedy said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much social and economic need that quite often even on funding proposals we get overlooked, and it鈥檚 not anybody鈥檚 fault because there are just many things that need funding.鈥�
Currently, when the Iqaluit Humane Society reaches capacity they turn to the few local foster groups in the city, as well as the Sash-Mar Paws, an Animal Rescue Service, that helps connect them with credible foster homes in the Ottawa region.
Anyone looking to donate to the cause can find more information at the .
With files from CTVNews.ca writer Graham Slaughter
