Historic donation to help furry friends in Regina

The Regina Humane Society (RHS) has received the biggest donation in its almost 60-year history.

Gerda Fiesel, a lifelong donor of the RHS, signed a cheque for $1.1 million for the new RHS Animal Community Centre (ACC).

She said making a donation like this was an obvious decision.

“(It’s) for the love of animals that I have. I think (RHS officials) are in big need of funds for the animals,” said Fiesel.

Fiesel and her late husband Jon didn’t have any kids or grandchildren. It was their wish to help out someone, so they chose to help the animals.

“I think the Regina Humane Society doesn’t get all that much help; that’s why I did it,” she said.

Fiesel worked at the General Hospital for 35 years in the lab office and as a nurse. Her husband owned a machine shop.

The new facility will include an education centre to teach the community about pet ownership. It will be named after Fiesel and her husband.

“I hope he’s looking down and I hope he says I’m doing good,” she said.

Another room in the facility will be named after their cat Minky.

The “Minky Meet and Greet room” is where future pet owners will meet their furry friend for the first time.

Fiesel lit up when talking about her late cat.

“He was an adorable cat. When we got him he was tiny tiny. He was a very smart cat. He was 21 years old (when he died),” she said.

Lisa Koch, the executive director of the RHS, said the donation is a transformational gift.

“If anyone has visited our animal shelter out on Armour Road that is almost 60 years old, you can see really the conditions we have been surviving under for many many years,” she said.

Koch said the RHS considers Fiesel a friend and family member. They held hands during the historic announcement.

When looking back at the history of RHS, Koch acknowledges the incredible women who made the clinic what it is today.

It all started back in 1964 when Margaret Borland wrote a short advertisement in the Regina Leader-Post asking community members to form an organization to care for animals in the city. Almost 60 years later, another woman is stepping up to help the new clinic.

“It’s so lovely to be able to see another woman just like you, Gerda, making a big difference to animals,” said Koch.

The donation puts the RHS in the homestretch, said Koch. It has $1 million left to raise out of the centre’s $15-million cost.

“We couldn’t have done it without Gerda,” she said.

The new facility is double the size of its predecessor. It will feature an education centre and a fully functioning vet clinic. The extra space will allow animals to be stress free and comfortable.

Koch compared it to a home like habitat.

The clinic is set to open in the fall.