Healing Haven hopes to build bear enclosure with next fundraiser

Healing Haven Wildlife shelter didn’t reach its fundraising goal to build a black bear rehabilitation enclosure, however, the organizations big fundraiser at the end of October is expected to bring in the remaining dollars.

The 100 per cent volunteer run charity has three full-time and a dozen casual workers who look after and treat up to 50 animals a day during the summer months.

Mark Dallyn runs the shelter and said regardless of the season, Healing Haven is always a busy place.  

“(Volunteers are) stretched very thin with hundreds of animals coming in during the summer,” Dallyn said. “We’re getting back into it with the last of the releasable animals being released in the next week or two.”

Dallyn added, donations have come in from lemonade stands or even birthday money, while others donated actual buildings.

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As summer ends and winter draws closer, Dallyn said the shelter is starting to see more young animals brought in and less babies. He added, this time of year, the biggest injury volunteers see is broken wings.

Wild for Life, Healing Haven’s largest fundraiser of the year is on Oct. 22 at the Civic Centre. Presentations, silent and live auctions, raffles, 50/50s, dinner and entertainment are all part of the evening.

Proceeds from Wild for Life are covering the remainder of the fees needed to build a black bear rehabilitation pen. Once complete, it’ll be the first in Saskatchewan.

Colton Swiderski is meadowlakeNOW’s municipal affairs, crime and court, health and education reporter. He can be reached at cswiderski@jpbg.ca or tweet him @coltonswiderski.