Tourism Moose Jaw has been supporting local animal rescues for a long time, but last spring they took things up a notch by selling books, t-shirts, and hoodies on behalf of the Moose Jaw Humane Society, which has had big benefits for both non-profits.
"If you look at what our mandate is, what our goals and visions are for tourism, we want to create a welcoming environment for anyone coming to Moose Jaw," said Jacki L'Heureux-Mason, executive director of Tourism Moose Jaw (TMJ). "And we've seen such a growth in people who bring their animals with them when they travel ... We've always been a pet-friendly environment, and people notice that we have an office cat and we welcome dogs and cats on our property, and we hold events supporting local rescues.
"So, I think a lot of people thought this was a really obvious move for us, and were surprised we hadn't been doing it already."
The TMJ office cat, Cheese, came from Moose Jaw's Stray Cat Rescue And Protection Society (SCRAPS), and TMJ supports the Moose Jaw Humane Society (MJHS) through regular fundraisers, such as when they held their 20th-anniversary party in July. They sold hot dogs, pop, and mini trolley rides and donated the proceeds.
As part of that ongoing collaboration, TMJ gave the MJHS extra merchandise space at their 450 Diefenbaker Dr. office. Visitors are happy to be able to buy the MJHS's best-selling hoodies, or pick up a book for the road, knowing they're supporting a good cause.
"It's really nice to create that environment of education as well, that people see us supporting something important, but they also see that our rescues are a big part of our community," L'Heureux-Mason said. "I'm sure people have noticed that shelters and rescues are all just absolutely full. And so, we're hoping to do even more outreach opportunities where maybe we can put these animals in front of locals, visitors, whoever we can, so maybe they can make a connection and have a pet of their own.
"Our staff have just jumped on board with this, we're all animals lovers here, and they wear the hoodies at work and people notice that, and we've found this kind of overlap between our organization's business models. I think that kind of collaboration is good for everybody, and more funding for the MJHS is so important, but ultimately, for us, it is really about getting these pets into homes."
Donna Fritzke, fundraising co-ordinator at the MJHS, said the support of Tourism Moose Jaw and other local businesses is a big help. The shelter/rescue cares for over 1,000 animals every year, including vaccinations, spays and neuters, adoptions, and emergency care, and needs all the promotion and fundraising it can get.
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