By Alex Coop
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The Estevan Humane Society, which has been open to the public with full time hours since Aug. 5, is receiving the finishing touches to their facility after a lengthy recovery period from the 2011 flood, a recovery effort that became more difficult with the passing of one of its longtime members, Judy Martin, earlier this year.
Members of the Humane Society held a memorial barbecue at M&M Meat Shops in Estevan on Aug. 15 for Martin, who passed away in January. She had worked with the Estevan Humane Society for 10 years.
"She was bottle feeding a baby kitten one day, I walked in on her and she was using a little wee bottle. I couldn't believe it," recalled Marlene Moore, president of the Estevan Humane Society, who reminisced about Martin's powerful connection with the animals before the memorial barbecue on Friday. "She had such a genuine care for animals."
She noted Martin's willingness to learn from veterinarians who worked closely with the Humane Society on a regular basis, which helped her "adapt to any situation."
Moore added she hopes the memorial barbecue becomes an annual event.
Jade Howard, a member of the Estevan Humane Society, emphasized the group's focus and hard work despite the many struggles it's had to endure until now.
"There's a fantastic amount of dedication here, Marlene and the rest of the staff are putting forth so much effort into keeping (the Humane Society) going and taking care of the animals," she said. Howard also acknowledged the use of social media and its effectiveness within the community.
"People have been amazing on social media and respond so quickly to our posts," she said.
She also credited local contractors who have assisted with much of the recovery efforts, and fixed many of the building's problems for free. The chip rock walls, baseboards and insulation that required fixing after the flooding are nearing completion as well. Howard also praised the children who continue to support the Humane Society on a consistent basis.
"To go from a shelter to a full-fledged member of the Humane Society is pretty cool," she said. "Some kids are asking for donations to the shelter on their birthdays,"
Moore explained there have been a number of staff changes occurring within the shelter, but that they have all done admirable work.
The Estevan Humane Society has approximately 12 dogs, 10 cats, and "a lot of kittens" said Moore, adding the number of cats they've had at the shelter has previously reached 60.
"Most of them are simply picked up by us, found abandoned," she said.
Members of the animal shelter at the barbecue were accepting donations, which (HOW MUCH) Moore said have been coming in at a steady rate, but added additional donations, which help pay for their staff and their vet bills, are always welcome.
"Our monthly bills are around $5, 000," she said.
M&M Franchisee Tamara Bloor, who was on site during the barbecue, grew up in Estevan and said Judy Martin was an "iconic" name in the city.
"She was definitely someone a lot of people looked up to," she said.
The Estevan Humane Society's next event will be the annual Dog Jog held on Sept. 14.
