BC SPCA officials and community members gathered on Sept. 28 to celebrate the official opening of the new BC SPCA Sea to Sky Education and Adoption Centre.
The 2,000-square-foot facility includes three rooms for cats and kittens, a small-animal room, an exam room, office space for local animal protection officers and humane education staff.
The extra space means new SPCA facility would be able to take in small animals like hamsters and birds, which it wasn’t able to earlier. For 16 years, SPCA operated out of a small trailer in the Squamish work yard
The new facility will also include a community room for BC SPCA Kids Camps, birthday parties and animal-related workshop for youth and adults. The centre also has a small retail area for BC SPCA products.
Manager Krista Unser is excited about the new facility and in particular, about a unique reading program where children can go to the facility after school and read to the cats or other small animals.
“It’s a great way for kids to practice their reading with a non-judgemental audience and have a calming effect for children who might have reading anxiety or who are struggling,” she said.
She also said the BC SPCA is a non-profit organisation and all money comes from public donations. “We get no operational funding from the Government. The people in this area are generous but there is always a need for more funds,” she said.
“Community is so important to the success of a shelter and Squamish is a great community. We do have pet food for people who are struggling to feed their pets but I am not sure it is well known and we also have a grant from the District of Squamish to help with low cost spay and neuter,” she added.
The Education & Adoption Centre, located at 1005B Industrial Way in Squamish, is open from noon to 4 p.m. daily, except Wednesdays.
