Jeff Benvin sits with a friendly shelter dog during the 2019 Lock-In For Love event. (Bonnie Pequin/Nanaimo SPCA)

By Jordan Davidson

furry fundraiser

Lock-In for Love event to honour dedicated Nanaimo SPCA worker

Jun 21, 2022 | 4:09 PM

NANAIMO — Provincial SPCA branches want to lock you in one of their kennels for a good cause.

The BC SPCA Lock-In for Love fundraising event has been going on all this month, where people get locked into a kennel with a dog until they reach their fundraising goal.

Nanaimo and District SPCA Bonnie Pequin said while the pandemic has changed this event slightly, people can still come in on June 23 and get locked up with one of their dogs.

“Before COVID hit we used to have people come in and we’d lock them in our kennels and they’d have a certain amount they’d had to raise before we would let them out. Of course we would feed them, but they’re not allowed to come out until they met their quota.”

This year, a smaller group of people will be locked up on June 23 only.

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The local SPCA is also mourning the loss of a longtime shelter worker Lorraine Negley, and are hosting this years Lock-In for Love event in her honour.

Negley passed away on June 7 after a valued 32 year career at the Nanaimo based SPCA. She died after a brief battle with cancer, which she was diagnosed only a month and a half prior to her death.

Lorraine Negley, fourth from the right, was a longtime and dedicated worker at the Nanaimo SPCA and will be sorely missed by all who knew her. (Bonnie Pequin/Nanaimo SPCA)

“This was always her happy place. She worked up until three weeks before she ended up in the hospital. She was always a hard worker and we love her very much, so we want to do the best we can do and she would be happy that we are raising money for the animals,” Pequin said.

In year’s past people would spend anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours in the kennels.

“Some people it took a bit of time like a couple of hours…and sometimes if they’d reach it we’d up it a little bit more, saying ‘Well if you got that that fast, we can try for another $500.’”

Sitting in a kennel raising money doesn’t look so bad with company like this. From 2019. (Bonnie Pequin/Nanaimo SPCA)

The Nanaimo and District SPCA’s goal this year was $12,500, which they had already surpassed as of Tuesday morning.

“It all goes towards the animals… if you’re wanting your donation to go where the money is most needed, you can mark your donation to where the money is most needed. Or you can specify the Nanaimo branch or any other branch that you would like.”

If you wish to make the donation in person, you can stop by the Nanaimo SPCA branch between 12:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., or donate online by clicking here to go to their fundraising page.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow