Vaudreuil SPCA may be forced to close its doors

MONTREAL – As a no-kill shelter, the SPCA West aims to rehabilitate as many animals as it can.

Since it launched about a year ago, the place has already rescued 1,135 animals in the Vaudreuil-Dorion area.

But despite all the volunteers’ hard work, this SPCA is now at a major turning point.

“The public is often not aware that an SPCA does not run on government funds,” said Brazeau.

“It is 100% supported by the public. If the public is not there, we don’t live.”

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The SPCA West is now $52,000 in the red, and it has until March 31st to pay that money back before it is forced to shut its doors.

“The public’s support didn’t come in as fast as expected,” said Brazeau.

Should the place shut down, animals at the shelter, including the 125 cats currently housed there, will have nowhere to go.

“That’s what I’m worried about because I really don’t know what will happen to the animals. I don’t think any of us do at this point,” said Lisa Robinson, a volunteer at the SPCA.

They’ve launched a crowd-funding campaign online, and on Tuesday some area-residents also decided to stop by, in person, handing in both small personal donations, and bigger checks.

“You have to feel sorry for the animals, but you have to feel sorry about the volunteers here putting so much time working here,” said Frank Prendergast, an area resident who donated $20 dollars.

“We have to come together and help.”

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As of Wednesday, the GoFundMe campaign has raised over $48,000.

The McKibbins Pub in Vaudreuil has also jumped on-board, hosting various events to help raise funds.

“They’re fairly new, and they’re not fully established. People need to know that they are here and they are saving all our animals, so we’re just trying to get the word out as much as possible,” said Nicholas Pichereau, one of the co-owners of the pub.