27th Paws in the Park fundraiser pays tribute to late volunteer

A party for dogs of all shapes and sizes was held in Stratford on Sunday in memory of a humane society volunteer who passed away earlier this year.

The Humane Society of Kitchener-Waterloo and Stratford Perth hosted the 27th Paws in the Park fundraiser.

“It’s a community event for individuals to come in and enjoy all of the work that we do here at the humane society and really connect with our community members while having the opportunity to meet some other dog owners in the community,” said Nick Burke, the director of development with the humane society.

This year’s installment held a special place in many staff member’s hearts, as there was also a tribute for a late volunteer.

“Today’s event was particularly special because we’re honouring a volunteer, Elspeth MacDonald, who volunteered for over 30 years, and she passed away earlier this year. We planted a tree out back and had her family in from across the country to honour all the work that she’s done for our organization,” said Burke.

“Our organization would not be able to run without the volunteers that we have in our Stratford centre, as well as our Kitchener centre,” he added. “They are integral to the success of the organization so we’re very grateful to have them working with us day in and day out.”

The fundraiser was also timely, as the centres recently appealed for assistance from the public due to capacity concerns.

“Many of your viewers would have seen in the past week about us having over 345 animals between our two centres,” said Burke. “It’s a great opportunity for us to bring people in, showcase the animals that we do have for adoption and really consult with individuals who are considering adopting as well.”

Anyone looking to adopt an animal can visit the humane society’s website.