ATHABASCA - A local animal advocate is hoping to get enough signatures to run a charity golf tournament for the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS) following the success of the now-yearly Pucks for Paws hockey tournament.
Putts for Paws is the latest iteration of Richard Nolan’s continued efforts to help Athabasca County’s local animal shelter raise needed funds to continue the work they do. From a charity concert to a beer league hockey tournament, Nolan said he’s taking his own hobbies and trying to turn them towards a better cause.
“We had such great success with the Pucks for Paws hockey tournament, and a lot of people expressed an interest that they would love to see a golf tournament. Most hockey players love both hockey and golf,” said Nolan in a July 14 interview.
“I figured why not give it a try? I figured it would open it up even more to the public because I think there are a lot more golfers than there are hockey players. It’s a good opportunity to raise more funds and awareness.”
Nolan said they still need 25 golfers to sign up for the event, which is set to take place at the Athabasca Golf and Country Club Aug. 23. At most, the event can accommodate 144 players, but needs a minimum of 100 to actually happen.
“The crisis continues to keep getting worse in the animal world; they need more help than ever. It’s becoming a broken record at each of these events I put on,” said Nolan.
“It’s going to be a really fun day. It’s non-competitive so it doesn’t matter if you’re a good golfer. All skill levels, all genders, everybody’s welcome to attend.”
The proceeds from the event all go to SCARS, where the money gets used for medical bills, food, toys, and more for the cats and dogs the society takes in.
Initially, the surge in animal surrenders and abandonments was attributed to the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. People had acquired pets while they were stuck at home, and later realized they didn’t have the resources to continue to care for them once they returned to work, but the trend never stopped.
Amanda Nilson is the foster home supervisor and coordinator at SCARS, and she also oversees the intake of the society’s feline clients. According to her, SCARS is busier than it’s ever been before, with 70 animals being brought in between July 11 and July 15 alone.
“We usually have 500 animals in care at one time right now. Two or three years ago, it would have been about 250, so it has doubled over the past two to three years,” she said.
“We are being just absolutely slammed with requests every single day. Strays, surrenders, people who need to leave the country, injured and abandoned animals on the side of the road, you name it. Currently, we’re getting 25 to 30 requests per day.”
Feeding or providing medical care for that quantity of animals is a challenge — SCARS is always looking for donations to that effect — but without adoptions or foster homes, the society is unable to consistently bring in more animals. Despite having a shelter in Athabasca County, there’s less than ten registered foster homes in the region.
“Fostering frees up space in our shelter, and it allows the animals to recover and get used to a home environment and be able to be in a home setting and see if they’re appropriate there,” said Nilson.
To sign up for the tournament, or for more information on donations, fostering, or adopting an animal, visit SCARS website at www.scarscare.ca.
