How we Spend...

 

Over the years, Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (AVWS) has been fortunate to be the recipient of many, many donations by the kind and generous public. Virtually every day when the mail arrives we are delighted to receive a couple of envelopes containing a note of encouragement and good wishes and quite often a cheque for $5, $10, maybe $25 enclosed. These gifts enable us to maintain the sanctuary and continue the work that began with Audrey Tournay 40 years ago. So how do we spend your hard earned money at the sanctuary? Well, firstly we have to pay salaries. Like most businesses, employee salaries account for over 50 per cent of our cost of doing business. We are incredibly fortunate to have employees who are committed, eager and willing to work the long hard hours required to maintain the facility and to look after the animals. We do not begrudge one penny of the salaries that we are paying to our staff as they earn every cent and so much more. In order for the sanctuary to function we are required to find funds to pay for vehicles, and fuel, repairs and insurance for the vehicles. We use a large diesel truck for hauling feed and supplies and of course, animals. We need to use 4 x 4 off road vehicles for taking food, water and bedding to the bears, racoons and the deer in the back pens, and for taking meat and water to the wolves, coyotes and Subira. Front loaders and diggers are needed to excavate in order to construct and maintain enclosures. Money is necessary to pay for the hydro we use and the propane for heating the barn in which we house the small mammals that winter with us. We also need to heat Subira’s house, the office and the homes on the property. We need telephones, computers, fax machines, copiers, and basic office materials. Simple things like coffee makers or kettles, if not donated, have to be purchased. We are required to have insurance on all of the buildings and equipment, as well as liability insurance for the safety of our human guests and volunteers. It takes a great deal of equipment to maintain a facility like the sanctuary. Shovels, wheelbarrows, brooms, rakes, saws, freezers, forks, mowers, snow clearing equipment, the list is long and expensive. We are always pleased when someone donates a piece of equipment of any size and quality. We will fix what we can to make it work before we will spend money to replace a tool or equipment. Duct tape is our friend! Over the years, the sanctuary has been the grateful recipient of generous donations of food by Pet Valu, Sobeys and WalMart. The food these kind businesses give to us for the animals alleviates a huge expenditure so that we are able to use the monetary donations to pay for our necessary and expensive costs to do business. If we found ourselves having to pay for all of the food required to feed the animals the situation at AVWS would be very different. Contrary to what some say, we do not beg for “money to feed the hungry animals”. Thanks to the generosity of Sobeys, Pet Valu, WalMart and the generosity of people emptying freezers or giving us their extra dog or cat food or infant formula, we do not have to beg for food for the hungry animals. But by God, if we had to beg to feed the animals, we would! At the sanctuary, we work very hard to use equipment until it is no longer feasible to keep repairing it or it is just plain dangerous to use. We are not wasteful. Food and equipment donations are too valuable for us to take advantage of, or waste. We thank everyone who as ever donated funds, sheets, towels, food, tools, bowls, blankets, clothes, chairs, or tables for their kindness and thoughtfulness. The sanctuary needs your help in the form of donations be it monetary, gifts in kind, providing us with your gently used items that we can reuse. Any and all donations are very important to us. Virtually all of the donations made to us are used responsibly in the care and feeding of our animals in the various capacities mentioned previously. Money has to be spent in order to meet Ministry of Natural Resources minimum standards for the animals to ensure that we maintain our licence to rehabilitate the animals So the next time you are cleaning out the cottage or the basement or garage, before you head to the dump or the curb, think of us at the Sanctuary looking after the animals. Thank you and we ask for your continued support and supporting us in what we are doing. Be a part of the AVWS solution! For a copy of our latest financials published on-line at Revenue Canada, Charities and giving section. CLICK HERE