A rescue dog is going to receive some much-needed medical attention thanks to 47 Foothills ladies.
Okotoks Pound Rescue was the chosen charity at this quarter’s meeting of 100 Women Who Care Foothills, and received a donation of $4,700 toward its operations.
100 Women Who Care is an organization of women who meet four times per year for one hour at a time. At each meeting a charity is chosen and each women writes a cheque for $100 directly to the organization.
“It feels good to them and it feels good to us,” said Gabriele Barrie, director of Okotoks Pound Rescue.
She said the donation couldn’t have come at a better time for Pound Rescue. There have been a lot of animals being left in her care that need medical attention, she said.
In particular, one dog was taken in by Barrie two weeks ago that had been hit by a car and suffered a broken leg. Rather than take him to a veterinarian, the dog’s owner shut the animal in a kennel cage and left him in the hopes he would heal on his own.
“The dog was taken away and now we have to mend him and his shattered bones,” said Barrie.
She said the money from 100 Women Who Care will pay for the surgery necessary to fix the dog’s leg, with funds left over to pay for spaying and neutering other pets before they are put in foster care or adopted.
An injection of $4,700 is a lot of money for her organization, which relies entirely on donations from the public, she said.
“Without people we couldn’t do it,” said Barrie. “We would just not be able to. We are kind of just a middle-man who hopes that other people pitch in.”
That includes both monetary donations and providing foster homes for pets while they transition to their new homes, she said.
Most of the expenses incurred are from vet bills, she said.
Sharon Nelson, who nominated Okotoks Pound Rescue at the May 4 meeting of 100 Women Who Care, said part of what she appreciates about the organization is the care Barrie takes before adopting out a pet, to ensure the animal is healthy and increase the chances of a successful transition.
“Gabby makes sure they’ve all been fixed, they’ve had all their inoculations,” said Nelson.
She said she’s followed the work Barrie has done with Pound Rescue over the years, taking care of animals that were often left to fend for themselves.
“When I walked to school I used to meet dogs who had been turned loose in town, and they went through the lunches the kids threw away,” said Nelson.
“They were hungry, they were ragged, and I just felt so awful nobody was there to look after them until Gabby came.”
It was the second time she submitted Okotoks Pound Rescue as a charity for 100 Women, but the organization was never drawn before.
At each meeting, women who want to nominate a charitable group write the name of the organization on a piece of paper, and three slips are drawn from the bowl. Those who nominate make a presentation about the organization they’ve submitted before a vote determines the lucky charity.
Nelson has been part of 100 Women Who Care since its second meeting, and said the format is a perfect fit for her.
“I hate meetings, but these are just one hour every few months, and then you’re off,” said Nelson. “You can do some good and it only takes an hour and $100, and you get a tax receipt too. It’s an easy way to give back.”
Karen Love, founder of 100 Women Who Care, said the membership tends to hover around 47, but she would like to see it push over 50, if not to the 100 mark.
“We know people in the community have a passion to give to not-for-profits, but we just need them to understand what we’re doing,” said Love.
