How your donation dollars help animal rescues and animal adoptions here in the Soo

Getting involved and helping to fundraise for the Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society couldn’t be easier or more rewarding.

Local animal lovers likely already know the Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society well. The organization, established in 1925, provides critical services to the community, focusing on animal welfare, compassion, and advocacy.

Through their efforts, they help about 1,700 animals every year — an impressive achievement. And yet the need for their services continues to grow. The SSM Humane Society is not a government organization and receives no financial support from any level of government.

While they receive a fee-for-service from the City of Sault Ste. Marie to perform animal control duties and enforce animal related by-laws, their other programs are funded solely through donations, fundraising, and bequests. “Performing animal care and control services includes a range of items such as bringing in stray animals that people catch, dealing with after-hours emergencies, and operating the ‘City Pound’,” says Abbi Johnston, Communications & Fundraising Specialist, SSM Humane Society.

“When animals come to us as strays, they are under a five-day hold so we can hopefully reunite them with their owners. Our contract with the City covers the care needed for the animals during this hold period.” “We rely on donations and fundraising for all of our other shelter programs!” explains Abbi.

“From adoptions (including spay/neuter surgeries for all mature animals), to animal healthcare (vaccines, deworming, microchips, and veterinary emergencies), to our foster program, we rely on the kindness and support of our community.” This support is especially critical for their foster program. “As our foster network has increased over the last few years, our costs have continued to go up — and not only because the neonate population has some of the most expensive needs, but also due to the number of kittens and puppies we’ve had coming into our care in recent years,” she says.

Every dollar received allows the SSM Humane Society to keep providing care to the animals who come into the shelter. When people make monetary donations, the funds help procure what they’re most in need of, from food to veterinary costs, as well as other necessities for the animals. When people donate items, such as bedding, toys, enrichment items, and treats, staff are able to keep the shelter pets comfortable and happy while reserving funds for the most critical items.

Ways to give Donations are welcome, and needed, all year round, and there are lots of ways to show support for the animals. Monetary donations are always accepted through their Canada Helps online donation portal or in-person at the shelter. “Our monthly donors make some of the biggest impact!” says Abbi.

“People can donate physical items to us in-person at the shelter every day, and we also have an Amazon wishlist where people can purchase items that get sent right to us.” They also do various fundraisers throughout the year that people can get involved in, from online 50/50 draws and silent auctions on their Facebook page to supporting them through in-person events like trivia nights at the Taproom or nail-trimming clinics with K9 Mobile Nails. There are also several free ways people can make a difference and help spread the message.

“We are so thankful for our following on social media, and we think it’s important to let people know the impact they can have just by following along and engaging with our content! Every ‘like’, comment, and share ensures that our posts get out in front of as many people as possible,” says Abbi. “You can follow along with us on Facebook (The Sault Ste Marie Humane Society), Instagram (@ssmhumanesociety), and TikTok (@ssm_humane_society)!

This is also the best way to stay in the loop with current and upcoming events,” she says. “We’ve had so many animals adopted because the right person sees a post on our pages, and we love celebrating our good news with the community on our Feel Good Fridays.” Their next online 50/50 draw will be starting up in August, with the drawing taking place live at the Pet Parade in the Plaza on September 26th.

They are excited for this second annual event put on by Casey at local Kiss 100.5. It will be a fun afternoon for both people and pets, a chance to fundraise for the shelter animals. Says Abbi, “It can feel daunting at times knowing that our needs often outpace the resources available to us.

We are so thankful to have this community behind us supporting the work we do so that we can say ‘yes’ to as many animals as possible! Thank you to everyone who donates, engages with us on social media, and chooses to get involved to help the animals!” The SSM Humane Society is a managed-intake shelter, meaning they help as many animals as they possibly can.

They are a registered charity with Revenue Canada. Discover how you can help, whether that’s sharing posts on social media, volunteering, fostering, or participating in Doggy Day Out. Visit the Sault Ste.

Marie Humane Society online at ssmhumanesociety.ca or call 705-949-3573. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram @ssmhumanesociety and TikTok @ssm_humane_society.