The Guelph Humane Society says it is honoured to receive $100,000 that brings the organization closer to its fundraising goal of $10 million for its new facility.
The donation is from Charlie and Diann Millage, who sold their farm years ago and set out to better their community with the money, the humane society said in a news release on Wednesday.
“We are so grateful to Charlie and Diann,” said Jennifer Fraser, the humane society’s donor relations manager.
“The second dog adoption room at our new building will be named after them, which is a wonderful way to honour Charlie’s legacy of kindness to animals and his impact on the community.”
The humane society said the gift was made just days before Charlie died at the age of 95.
“We are thankful that Charlie and I could contribute to this project,” said Diann. “It’s an up-to-date facility that will provide care to animals who so desperately need the assistance.”
Charlie Millage was born in 1925 on a farm in Emily Township, which is now Kawartha Lakes, and Diann said animals were a part of his life from the beginning.
She said kindness was a thread woven in Charlie’s personality.
“We felt that by supporting the campaign for the new location of the Humane Society in Guelph, we would provide a continuation of the kindness that Charlie and I always tried to extend to the various animals that we had in our home,” Diann said.
The donation means the Guelph Humane Society has raised $9 million for its new building.
The 18,000-square-foot facility at 190 Hanlon Creek Blvd. opened last month and is six times the size of the old facility on Wellington Street where the humane society was housed for 50 years.
The new space includes rooms for dogs and cats along with smaller animals and even space for wildlife and farm animals.
The humane society has $1 million left to go in its fundraising campaign and more information on how to donate can be found on its website.