P.E.I. Humane Society's surgical suite back on track after Canadian providers found

Plans for the P.E.I. Humane Society's new surgical suite are back on track after the non-profit found new Canadian sources to outfit its under-construction building.

The upgraded facility has been in the works for the past decade, and is finally nearing completion. The current shelter is 7,400 square feet, while the new one measures over 18,000.

Development and communications co-ordinator Ashley Travis rang the alarm bell earlier this year about the shelter facing challenges sourcing some veterinary materials through previous suppliers in the United States, as President Donald Trump launched a tariff war with allies including tariffs. 

Travis said she was surprised to learn that there wasn't much of a price difference when the shelter sought out Canadian alternatives for the kind of operating supplies used with animals.

"I thought purchasing domestic might cause the budget to go up, but the prices were fairly comparable," she said.

"All it required on our part looking within Canada was to make new contacts, and you know, that process was smoother than even I thought was going to be."

Travis hopes the construction will come to an end this year.

"We're into the nitty-gritty and little detail work now, so we're finishing up the last little bits here over the next couple of weeks, and I'm very hopeful that we'll be able to do a grand opening later this year."

Travis said the shelter is now focusing more on raising money for the medical equipment needed. The estimated cost is more than $50,000.

"We launched a brand-new fundraiser for this year called Pawsport to Paradise... we're going to be giving away trips around the world," she said. "Funds raised from that... are going directly to the surgical suite in the new shelter."

She said it has been "pretty popular so far, but we are hoping to continue to sell tickets going into the summer."

A thousand tickets are being sold in the fundraiser at $150 each. There are 12 chances of winning, and the first draw comes on July 2.

"Every ticket from that fundraiser will help purchase material equipment that will be used for homeless, lost and abandoned animals receiving veterinary care right here on site."