Four Glaslyn residents made up a VIP party treated to a special get together with Canadian country music artist Codie Prevost during his visit to North Battleford to perform at the Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts.
Heather Hall, Battlefords Humane Society board member, says the Saskatchewan-born music star was impressed with the current Mob Dog campaign and agreed to do a VIP package as a fundraiser for the society's new building fund. It was auctioned online, with the winning bidder being Karen Burtnick of Glaslyn. Her party was made up of herself, Mike Lins and Bruce and Michelle Hazzard.
"I saw it on Facebook and thought 'I'm just going to start bidding,'" said Burnick.
The caregiver to two dogs, a snake and a rabbit had to up her bid three or four times, but was finally successful with a $340 bid.
The VIP package included four premium seats for the performance, supplied by the Dekker Centre, a tour of the animal shelter with Prevost as well as a photo session, dinner with Prevost at Blend. There they were treated to a private acoustic performance, a copy of his newest album and limousine service by All Out Limousines.
At the shelter, Prevost and the VIP winners toured the 36-year-old building, seeing for themselves the need for a new, larger facility. They also made friends with many of the approximately 115 animals presently housed there. Amongst the dog population, there are still 10 dogs waiting for adoption out of the 40 that came from La Ronge during the summer forest fires.
Prevost, four-time Canadian Country Music Association nominee, six-time Saskatchewan Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year and 2015 Male Vocalist of the Year, is a pet owner himself. He and his wife have two Chihuahuas and he carries their images on his cell phone.
"If somebody you didn't want showed up in the middle of the night you wouldn't have a problem knowing someone is there," he laughed. "Sometimes when I'm coming home from a concert … I turn the door handle, and they're aar! aar! aar! aar!"
Prevost said he was happy to help raise funds for a new shelter in North Battleford.
He said, "Heather had emailed me, and I was unaware there was even a shelter here in North Battleford."
She told him they were doing some fundraising and asked if he would like to be involved.
"From the email it started to snowball."
He suggested a VIP package because "it doesn't really cost any money, but does raise some funds."
He said, "Even if it raises a thousand dollars that's a thousand dollars that wasn't there before."
Then he talked to songwriting friend Brock Andrews, who is a graduate of John Paul II and also agreed to be the opening act at Prevost's performance at the Dekker Centre. Andrews works with Fender and he offered to bring along a guitar for raffle. They ended up raffling two guitars, for a total of $1,124.
At the evening performance, Michelle Spark, director of the animal shelter, said the Mob Dog campaign started in August had raised $10,000.
"When Codie and Brock found out what we were doing, they jumped right in and wanted to help," she told the audience.
The Battlefords Humane Society's Shelter-Us Building Fund is aiming toward a new building within the next five years – the sooner the better, considering the condition of the current building. The fund so far contains about $350,000, but the new building will probably cost $1.5 million.
The Humane Society has been running a “Who let the dogs out?” fundraiser to boost the building fund.
“If someone gives a $50 donation, then the group of dogs, which we’re calling the ‘mob dogs,’ would be put on someone’s lawn of their choosing,” says Hall, who built the 116 wooden dogs that make up four sets herself, based on the idea of the flamingos-on-the lawn prank.
Those looking to prank their friends and family can call the Battlefords Humane Society at 306-446-2700.
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