Kittens curl up inside a shared enclosure at the new Battlefords Humane Society shelter. The $3 million facility includes expanded space and upgraded ventilation to improve animal health and comfort.(submitted/Battlefords Humane Society)

By Kenneth Cheung

A NEW CHAPTER

New $3M Battlefords Humane Society shelter opens to improve animal care

Jul 21, 2025 | 3:41 PM

After about 15 years of planning, fundraising and anticipation, the Battlefords Humane Society(BHS) has officially opened the doors to its new shelter on Monday — a $3-million facility designed to improve care for animals and the people who look after them.

“It’s a major undertaking, and I’m very proud to see it and be a part of it,” said Laurel Fauth, treasurer of the BHS’s board.

The new shelter, located on a property beside the BHS Boarding and Grooming on Highway 4 in North Battleford, features a modern layout with upgraded ventilation, separate rooms for isolating animals, and more space for both pets and staff. It replaces the aging building the organization had long outgrown.

“It’s going to be a lot better for animal health in particular, and space, and just better all the way around — better atmosphere for everybody,” Fauth said.

The shelter has increased its total capacity from about 70 animals to as many as 100, including more room for dogs and flexible areas for cats and kittens.

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“We have seven, eight cats in one kennel, because we have a lot of kittens, especially right now,” Fauth said. “As per the number of kennels, it’s probably the same, but we can keep more kittens together with their moms.”

The new shelter is located on Highway 4 next to the BHS Boarding and Grooming in North Battleford. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

Fauth said the biggest investment was in animal health.

“In the other facility… if somebody was sick, they quite likely all got sick,” she said. “Whereas here… we can isolate and keep different groups of animals separate. We invested a lot of money in ventilation systems so that there aren’t illnesses spreading from one room to another.”

The shelter is open to the public from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily, including weekends. Mornings and evenings are reserved for feeding, cleaning and rotating animals outdoors.

Beth Mitchell was among the first visitors through the doors and said the shelter holds a special place in her family’s heart. Her late uncle, Terry Blanchette, was a longtime board member.

“I’m just really happy that this new facility is open, because I know that they’ve been fundraising for years,” Mitchell said. “I’m just so happy for the animals to have a brand new, clean space.”

The humane society is planning a public grand opening in late August or early September.

“Invite the public to come and see it, come and adopt the animal, take somebody home,” said Fauth.

(submitted/Battlefords Humane Society)

She hopes the community will continue to support the shelter’s work year-round.

“A lot of people care about animals, and they like to see them looked after,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking to see a lot of the cases that we get in here, and this will just make it so much better.”

For more information on donating or adopting, visit battlefordshumanesociety.com.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com