The second-annual jail and bail event for the Battlefords Humane Society was a big hit with the community.
Nine prominent individuals spent three hours locked up in the kennels at the Battlefords Animal Shelter on 114th Street, much to the amusement of the cats and dogs in the building. It was all done to raise money for the animal shelter’s new building fund to finance the replacement of the current facility, which is 27 years old.
According to rough estimates, more than $13,000 in funds was raised.
Shelter coordinator Michelle Spark was among the jailbirds and raised more than $3,000. She also met the challenge where the amount of money to bail her out exceeded the amount raised to keep her in jail. Had she failed to raise enough money, she would have had to sleep in the dog kennel that evening.
Other jailbirds included Jim Shevchuk, Laurel Fauth, Moe McGuinty, Nicki Holtzhausen, Mike Silvester, Dr. Erin Hamilton, Shelley Tupling and our News-Optimist/Regional Optimist editor Becky Doig, who shared a kennel with a stuffed Scooby-Doo.
“It went really well,” said Spark about the event.
“Our jailbirds were great and the response from the community was great, and we had another successful year.”
She thanks the many sponsors and volunteers who gave their time this year and the shelter fully intends to hold another jail and bail fundraiser next year as well.
