Northumberland Humane Society ‘at a loss for words’ after receiving donation of nearly half-a-million dollars

The Northumberland Humane Society say they are speechless after receiving what it calls a life-changing donation of $444,208; one of the largest donations it has received during its 50 years in operation.

“We’re honestly at a loss for words. We’re so excited about the donation, it hasn’t really sank in yet that we have this gift,” said general manager of the Humane Society, Kate Lennan.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We're honestly at a loss for words. We're so excited about the donation, it hasn't really sank in yet that we have this gift," said general manager of the Humane Society, Kate Lennan.

Josephine Pattaschery, who was a member of the Northumberland community, passed away on Jan. 28. 2017. She donated the amount from her estate to the shelter.

“To our knowledge, so she didn’t have any children, had a cat that she loved very much, so had a love of animals, and most of the funds came from the sale of her property,” Lennan said.

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While it’s still too early to decide on what the funds will be used for, the Humane Society said they have a lot of work that needs to be done for expansion.

“We have a lot of needs you know, our current facility is defiantly outdated, we need some upgrades internally and externally, we need new cages, we need new fencing, so there are a lot of upgrades to our current facility that the funds could be used for or even a possible expansion in the future,” said Lennan.

Organizers say they have received numerous donations in the past, but in the 50 years of operation, they have never seen one this large.

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“It’s a godsend, it is to help here, the staff here give 150 per cent — it’s needed for medical care, they get the best of medical care, and we take in a lot of animals particularly in the last year, and a lot of people do not realize that this is a non-profit,” said volunteer Jane Wilkins.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's a godsend, it is to help here, the staff here give 150 per cent — it's needed for medical care, they get the best of medical care, and we take in a lot of animals particularly in the last year, and a lot of people do not realize that this is a non-profit," said volunteer Jane Wilkins.

The board of directors will be meeting in the near future and will include the donation to its upcoming strategic plan meeting.