Battlefords Publishing has been forced to announce that editor Becky Doig is going to jail.
“No,” Doig said, “this has nothing to do with last week’s News-Optimist.”
It turns out she is among several prominent people in the community recruited to take part in the second annual “jail and bail” put on by the Battlefords Humane Society.
It takes place Feb. 2, 2016 between 5 and 8 p.m.
The plan is for the “jailbirds” to be arrested at 5 p.m. and then spend three hours in a kennel at the animal shelter, all trying to raise bail money so they can be released.
In addition to Doig, other confirmed jailbirds include Jim Shevchuk, Laurel Fauth, Moe McGuinty, Nikki Holtzhausen, Mike Silvester and Shelley Tupling.
Also being taken into questioning is their “dog mob,” because according to shelter manager Michelle Spark, “we suspect they will be jailbreaking our jailbirds.”
Finally, also under arrest will be the shelter co-ordinator Michelle Spark.
In her case, people “can either pay to bail me out or pay to keep me in jail overnight,” Spark said.
If her “bail” exceeds her “jail,” she gets to go home, she explained. But if it’s the other way, Spark said, “I have to stay in the shelter overnight and sleep in the dog kennel.”
The event is similar to a year ago, but there will be a new phone number to call and that is 937-MEOW to post bail. Or you can donate online at www.battlefordsanimalshelter.com.
As well, “wanted” posters are going up throughout the community in connection to all the “suspects,” helping promote the event.
The effort is to raise money for Shelter US Building Fund, which is raising money for a replacement building for their current Animal Shelter.
According to Spark, the current building is “very quickly coming to the end of its life.”
“It’s served us well for 27 years,” she said. But the issues are starting to pile up with the walls and drains.
The air exchange system is not strong enough in the building and it is not big enough for the amount of animals they take in.
“A new building is definitely in desperate need,” said Spark.
About $400,000 has been saved up but another $1.5 to $2 million must still be raised so that the new building can go ahead.
