(Submitted photo/Veronica Hermiston)

By Angie Rolheiser

Furry friends

Mozart Sympawthy Animal Sanctuary raising funds for growing operation

Dec 15, 2021 | 2:00 PM

A growing animal rescue in the community of Mozart is hoping to bring in some additional funds.

Mozart Sympawthy Animal Sanctuary was established in June after founder Veronica Hermiston purchased an empty building that is now home to the animals.

“I started volunteering and I talked with someone at the vet clinic and then I just decided to donate the building to someone who also was taking care of animals,” Hermiston said.

The first rescue cat to move into the former credit union building, Meowio who was homeless led to the opening of the sanctuary after there were reports of the feline being shot at.

“One thing kind of led to another and there were more cats and abused animals that were neglected or left frozen on the road and being dropped off,” Hermiston said.

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A non-profit corporation was set-up and now there are four directors on the board. Currently, there are 23 cats at the sanctuary, so the directors have launched a calendar fundraiser.

“All of us were using our own money to fund things and then we started getting donations and then we came up with the idea for the calendar,” Hermiston said.

The calendar is produced by one of the directors, Gwendolyn Burko. It contains pictures of animals and humans and are being sold for $20 each or $25 if they need to be shipped.

Heather Strongarm, who is an international model from the Fishing Lake First Nation appears in the calendar with her hairless cat Kylo.

“Everyone in the calendar is special whether the animal or the human behind it,” Hermiston said.

Those wishing to support the fundraiser can send a message on their Facebook page and transfers can be sent to mozartsympawthy@outlook.com to obtain a calendar. There are 175 calendars available.

T-shirts are also for sale as well as some homemade items with all profits to the animals and caring for them.

Hermiston said since June, the sanctuary has continued to evolve into something special.

“People have donated their sofa, their blankets, some people have dropped off food and are volunteering when they can,” Hermiston said. “Some children come with their parents and take the cats for a walk with a harness, so many things have happened without us even planning it.”

The plan is to eventually be able to accommodate other animals but right now it is just cats.

“With us being so new it is just one paw at a time right now so we need to be careful as to how we manage things,” Hermiston said.

The building is 1,000 square feet, and the animals can run free with the exception if an animal is needing recovery from injury.

Donations of dog kennels have allowed the cats to be outside in the summer and there are trees for them to climb as well.

Referring to it as a little sanctuary on the prairies, Hermiston said another dream down the line would be the incorporation of a ‘stray cafe.’

“We would love to eventually have a little cafe where you can come have coffee and visit the animals, it is very therapeutic,” Hermiston said. “It would be basically tea and coffee, enjoy the animals and hopefully we heal each other.”

Mozart is located 14 kilometers east of Wynyard.

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angie.rolheiser@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser