Ground was officially broken today on construction of a new SPCA shelter in the East White Hills area of St. John’s.
The chair of the local SPCA, Amanda Buis, says the new shelter will provide a safe and functional space for animals, volunteers and staff.
A major fundraising campaign has been underway for some time to cover the estimated $7-million cost of the new facility, with just over $1 million outstanding to make the dream a reality.
(Artist’s rendering of new SPCA)
Jim Hynes, chairman of the Way Home campaign, says it’s been a seven-year journey to get to where they are today.
“Myself and my brother Barry went over to Bob Noseworthy’s seven years ago and said, ‘we really need to build a new SPCA.’ Two years after that we started the campaign, so that’s where it all started,” says Hynes.
“They were in need of it, it was terrible what they had down there,” he says of old facility on RCAF Road. “I had to do something about that.”
