The BC SPCA has begun construction of a new state-of-the-art Community Animal Centre in Kamloops to care for the region’s most vulnerable animals. A ground-breaking ceremony was held on Friday, May 18 for the new facility, which is being built on a 2.2-acre property across from the Kamloops Airport at 2815 Tranquille Road. The $6.5 million, 10,500-square-foot facility is being funded through the generosity of the Province of British Columbia and SPCA donors.
Those in attendance at the ground-breaking included the Hon. Peter Milobar, MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson, the Hon. Todd Stone, MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson, representatives from the City of Kamloops and the Thompson Nicola Regional District, BC SPCA chief executive officer Craig Daniell, members of the BC SPCA Board of Directors and other local dignitaries, community partners and businesses. An opening welcome was offered by Councillor Rosanne Casimir of the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc Nation.
The new centre includes a 2,340-square-foot Spay/Neuter Clinic funded in part by PetSmart Charities™ of Canada to help reduce pet overpopulation. The organization’s president, David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., says: “Our $114,000 capital grant is reflective of a shared belief between PetSmart Charities and the BC SPCA that spay and neuter programs have, and will continue to, play a critical role in reducing pet homelessness across the province of British Columbia.”
Also prominent at the May 18 event were members of the Olynyk family of Kamloops, who are serving as ambassadors of the High Five capital campaign to raise the $700,000 in community donations still needed to complete the facility. The family includes Ken, Arlene, Jesse, Maya and Kelly, a forward with the NBA’s Miami Heat. “We’re excited that the new centre will help the SPCA do even more in our communities to provide life-saving care for animals,” said Kelly. “As a family we are proud to be a part of this community effort to raise the necessary funds to complete the project.”
This new Kamloops & District Community Animal Centre will incorporate modern designs to ensure the highest levels of health and welfare for animals, including 12 shared “apartments” for dogs to encourage natural movement and socialization, five large cat rooms, designated areas for temperament and behaviour assessments, and specialized isolation areas for sick and injured animals. The centre will also have a large retail area for pet supplies, a dog-wash station for the public, office space for regional animal cruelty investigators and a multi-purpose space for dog training, SPCA youth camps, workshops and other events for the community.
“We are extremely excited about the new centre and are grateful to the provincial government, PetSmart Charities™ of Canada and all the generous animal lovers in Kamloops and surrounding regions who are helping us make this urgently needed facility a reality,” said BC SPCA CEO Craig Daniell.
The BC SPCA’s Kamloops & District Branch cares for more than 1,500 neglected, abused and homeless animals each year and offers a wide range of outreach, education and advocacy programs to promote the welfare of animals.
Funding for the Kamloops & District Community Animal Centre includes $1.5 million from the provincial government. The BC SPCA has received $10 million in funding from the Government of B.C. towards its $60 million, eight-year Facilities Development and Services Plan to replace aging SPCA shelters in 12 B.C. communities.
“There are so many ways that people can become involved in this community initiative, including donations, gifts in kind and volunteer support,” says Lisa Fuller, manager of community development for the Kamloops & District Branch. “If anyone is interesting in helping, I encourage them to contact me at 250.572.3297 or lfuller@spca.bc.ca.” To learn more or to donate, please visit spca.bc.ca/highfive.
Successful Furball gala kicks off capital campaign for new BC SPCA Kamloops & District Community Animal Centre
Original story: May 9, 2018
The BC SPCA Kamloops & District Branch’s 5th annual Furball gala was a huge success this past weekend, and the event marks the beginning of an exciting month for the Kamloops SPCA.
“On Friday, May 18 at 11 a.m., we invite all animal lovers in the community to join us for the groundbreaking of our new Community Animal Centre at 2815 Tranquille Road,” said Craig Daniell, chief executive office for the BC SPCA. “This new facility is urgently needed to serve the more than 1,500 abused, neglected, homeless and injured animals we care for in the region each year and will enable us to expand our community services in humane education and advocacy to prevent future animal suffering.”
The BC SPCA is pleased to announce that the Olynyk family of Kamloops – Ken, Arlene, Kelly, Jesse and Maya – will serve as ambassadors of the society’s High Five Capital Campaign to raise the approximately $700,000 in community donations still needed to complete the facility. Kelly Olynyk, a forward with the NBA’s Miami Heat who returned to Kamloops last weekend to attend the BC SPCA’s Furball, says his family is passionate about animals. “We take comfort in knowing that the BC SPCA is advocating and actively caring for animals. We’re excited that this new centre will help the SPCA do even more in our communities to provide that lifesaving care. As a family we are proud to be a part of this community effort to raise the necessary funds to complete this project.”
The new 10,500-square-foot facility will be built on 2.2 acres across from the Kamloops Airport. The centre will be a critical hub for the rescue and care of animals from the region and will include a spay/neuter clinic to help prevent future animal suffering caused by pet overpopulation. The facility will also include a multi-purpose room for humane education programs for summer camps, birthday parties for children, youth workshops and education sessions for pet guardians.
For more information on how you can help make the new centre a reality, visit spca.bc.ca/highfive or contact Lisa Fuller, manager of community development for the Kamloops & District Branch, at 250.572.3297.
BC SPCA approves contractor for new Kamloops & District Community Animal Centre
Original story: Feb. 5, 2018
The BC SPCA has hired A&T Project Developments Inc., an award-winning Kamloops-based company with more than 25 years’ experience, as the contractor for its new Community Animal Centre and Spay/Neuter Clinic in Kamloops. Work on the new centre is expected to begin later this spring.
“We are delighted to take this next step and look forward to serving animals and pet guardians in the region and expanding our humane education and youth programs through this exciting new facility,” said Craig Daniell, chief executive officer for the BC SPCA. Last year, the Kamloops & District SPCA cared for more than 1,500 abused, neglected, injured and lost animals in the region.
The new 10,500-square-foot centre will include a 8,160-square-foot Community Animal Centre and a 2,340-square-foot clinic for spay/neuter surgeries to help reduce pet overpopulation in the region. Total cost of the project is approximately $6.5 million, with the provincial government providing $1.5 million for the project. The BC SPCA still needs to raise approximately $740,000 through community support.
The new Kamloops & District facility is part of the BC SPCA’s $60 million Facilities Development and Services Plan to replace or refurbish aging SPCA buildings in 12 B.C. communities. Currently the BC SPCA Kamloops & District Branch operates out of a 4,000-square-foot, 30-year-old building at 1211 8th Street. The society also operates a spay/neuter clinic in leased space on Tranquille Road.
“In 2015 the society purchased two acres of undeveloped land at 2815 Tranquille Road, across from the airport, which has since been rezoned for a community animal centre,” said Daniell. “We hope to have our new centre open to the public by early summer, 2019.”
The new SPCA facility will incorporate 12 spacious indoor-outdoor dog kennels, five large cat rooms providing a variety of housing options for the cats, a dedicated small animal area, an assessment room, office space for animal care, humane education and cruelty investigations staff, a volunteer area and a large multipurpose/community room for workshops, training, summer camps and animal-related events. The spay/neuter clinic will include three examination rooms, a surgical suite, an area for feral cats and separate waiting areas for cats and dogs to improve animal welfare.
“We urge animal lovers in Kamloops to help us make this new facility a reality,” says Daniell. To donate or learn more, please visit spca.bc.ca/highfive.