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The North Bay Animal Rescue & Relief Transport is preparing for a busy week as it will be transferring 35 cats and 28 dogs from across the province.
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Since the program launched in 2018, the transport vehicle has travelled 177,000 and aided more than 3,200 pets.
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The vehicle is sporting a clean white wrap with its new name and heartwarming images of cats and dogs. The refreshed transport is ready just in time for National Pet Day on Thursday.
“It’s very fitting our refreshed transport is back on the road in time for National Pet Day as it has transformed our ability to reach and help pets in need,” says Liam Cullin, Executive Director, North Bay and District Humane Society.
“In the past five years, the unit has supported 154 rescue and relief operations, safely and comfortably transferring homeless pets from remote northern communities to more populated centres in the south where they can receive veterinary care and find forever homes. After so many years on the road, a refresh was much needed. The new name and look better reflects the services the transport provides.”
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Although the unit primarily travels to Thunder Bay, it also transports pets to cities across southern Ontario including Guelph, Burlington, London, Kingston and Cobourg.
It has undertaken some lengthy, complex trips, including a 2,800 km round trip to Dryden. The refreshed transport’s first journey this week involves various areas of the province including Sault Ste. Marie, Kirkland Lake, Haileybury, Ottawa, Brockville and Toronto.
The North Bay Animal Rescue & Relief Transport is made possible because of two Companions for Change sponsorships from Pet Valu including $100,000 in 2018 and $31,000* this year.
The first sponsorship was used to purchase the truck and custom 24-foot trailer which is outfitted with heating, air conditioning and comfortable modern cages and can carry up to 45 medium-to-large dogs or 75 cats.
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The second sponsorship will cover insurance and maintenance costs for the truck and trailer for the next five years.
Additionally in fall 2022, Pet Valu was proud to award North Bay and District Humane Society a $250,000 Companions for Change sponsorship to help support construction of the Companions for Change Pet Adoption and Wellness Centre.
“We created Companions for Change sponsorships to help much-deserving animal organizations across Canada achieve larger capital projects,” says Adam Woodward Senior Vice President of Franchise Store Operations at Pet Valu.
“We are very impressed by the North Bay and District Humane Society team’s dedication to helping pets in need and we are delighted to continue to support them through our Companions for ChangeTM initiatives.”
Since 2018, with the help of generous donations by devoted pet lovers across Canada, Pet Valu’s Companions for ChangeTM has raised more than $3 million to support 15 animal-related organizations across the country.
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