Regina Humane Society urges public to adopt as it celebrates 1st year in new building

The Regina Humane Society celebrated its first year in its new building on Saturday.

The Animal Community Centre, which opened in February 2024 with funding from the City of Regina and private donors, features an adoption gallery, a dedicated veterinary hospital and an education centre for the public.

During a ceremony on Saturday, the society's executive director, Lisa Koch, flanked by animals and visitors, reported a large increase in adoptions in 2024 compared with the previous year in the old shelter.

"The move to the Animal Community Centre has transformed the Regina Humane Society in ways that we could only have imagined," she said. "It's a tribute to the kindness of Regina residents, the dedication of our staff and volunteers and the unwavering support of our donors and partners."

The society says it's currently caring for about 160 animals in the new facility in Harbour Landing.  

"It has changed just about everything," said Bill Thorn, the society's director of marketing and public relations. "In the old building we didn't have any real true isolation areas. It was very difficult to keep things clean — lots of nooks and crannies."

As a result of improved health measures including better ventilation and isolation rooms, Thorn says, the animals in their care are much less prone to diseases: Diarrhea in dogs has declined by 70 per cent, while feline respiratory illness has dropped by 65 per cent.

Public engagement has also increased, Thorn says, in part due to the larger facility and a bus stop outside the centre.

"This building was obviously built for animals," Thorn said, "but also for people to come and enjoy animals and be part of what we're doing. Our volunteer numbers are up 90 per cent since we moved."

Nevertheless, Thorne added, the new facility is already near its capacity. 

Dogs are especially over represented, an issue that Thorn attributed to the impact of COVID-19 and the higher cost of living. The pandemic drove a huge demand for pet dogs that people can no longer care for, while the cost of living has increased and veterinarians are in short supply.

"In the winter, it's usually a quieter time, frankly, for us to see animals coming in, but it hasn't really slowed down," he said. "No matter how big the building is, we're still going to have a limit to the number that we can look after properly — and we're pretty much there."

The society has reduced adoption fees for dogs, Thorn says, in a bid to entice more people to give them a home.

Giovana Cruz and Amanda Burillo attended the ceremony to adopt a second cat for their home. The first was also adopted from the humane society.