‘So many people are behind us:’ mid-Island animal hospice facing funding shortfall

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Atkinson-Spinks is looking to open an Island-first facility for aging dogs, but is days away from having the dream fail to materialize. (Image Credit: Bear’s Buddies Animal Foundation)

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'So many people are behind us:' mid-Island animal hospice facing funding shortfall

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The idea behind the sanctuary is to allow animals who aren’t able to stay at their homes, for whatever reason, to live out the rest of their years in comfort on the expansive property.

Atkinson-Spinks said sometimes pet owners aren’t able to handle, either emotionally or financially, grim medical news regarding their animals, leading to euthanization before an animal is ready.

“There are times that we get a diagnosis that is ultimately going to be terminal, but they have so much life left in them, and the owners can’t handle it. They don’t want to see them deteriorate, there are lots of different reasons, and so they elect to let them go before they need to.”

She said the shelter system isn’t always set up to help animals with terminal diagnoses get adopted, leaving many dogs and cats in limbo.

“The dream was just to have a place for them so they could live out their last days, and because I’m a vet, I can recognize when they are ready to go and then let them go peacefully. But they don’t need to go before they’re ready.”

A veterinarian for nearly 30 years in the United States, with connections in New York, Idaho, and Washington State, Atkinson-Spinks moved to the region a few years ago with her husband Keith.

Long-term goals for the property and the foundation include a daycare and boarding centre and a mobile veterinary clinic serving different Vancouver Island communities, as well as various community events, including movies under the stars with four-legged friends welcome to attend.

Donations to the Foundation can be made online through a Zeffy crowdsourcing platform.

More information about Bear’s Buddies Sanctuary is available on their website.

Work is progressing on the site, with around $1.4 million committed to date. (Image Credit: Bear’s Buddies Animal Foundation)

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