SPCA rebounds after being on brink of closure

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Two months after facing possible closure due to rising costs and declining donations, staff at the Fredericton SPCA say the group’s financial position has improved.

SPCA executive director and manager Annette James said the Hilton Road animal shelter isn’t out of the woods yet, but steps have been taken in recent months to cut costs and raise money to keep the facility open.

James said those efforts have been paying off so far.

“We’re slowly and steadily working to rebuild our sustainability,” she said.

“Before November and the launch of the Help Us Keep the Lights On Campaign, we were literally within a couple months of having to close our doors if we didn’t make some significant improvements and changes to raise awareness of who we are and lean into the community to help us out.”

The SPCA sent a notice to supporters in November detailing “substantially” increasing costs for animal care that made it “challenging” to stay afloat. Donations had also declined over the previous year.

“The cost of caring for animals requiring medical attention has increased substantially over the past three to four years as the animals are presenting more complex needs,” the notice said. “Experiencing these yearly increases has depleted our investments and savings.”

When the organization fell on hard times, James said, staff and board members saw an opportunity to educate people about the organization and the services it provides for animals. She said the fundraising drive also allowed the group to identify other partners in animal welfare who could offer support.

The Help Us Keep the Lights On campaign was launched alongside the Pet Pawlooza fundraiser in November with a $250,000 goal to allow time to find partners and be viable long-term. James said $160,000 has been raised to date.

“We realized we had to find more sustainable and solid revenue streams, while drilling down on what expenses could be improved without jeopardizing the standard of care we provide for the fur babes that come in here and have no voice of their own,” she said.

“We’ve been around since 1914, and we want to still be around for years to come.”

James said the SPCA has asked NB Power about grants to make its building more energy efficient, and discussions with veterinarians and other stakeholders about animal control contracts have ramped up. She said fundraising events have continued, and one is currently being planned for February.

The SPCA is also in talks with the City of Fredericton about tweaking its annual grant from the municipality. The group currently receives $42,000 in grants from the city, James said, but that amount hasn’t changed in at least 14 years.

The letter to supporters in November said it costs roughly $65,000 per month to provide services to animals. In 2022, the Fredericton SPCA took in 549 animals, 46 per cent of which were strays, with 78 days being the average length of stay.

“Every donation and little bit that people do to help counts, whether it’s a donor who brings in a $1,000 cheque, or a company that donates money to help us, or even kids who bake cookies and sell them and bring us the proceeds,” said James. “It truly takes a community to help our fur babes that have no voice of their own.”

– With files from Savannah Awde