The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge donated nearly $6,000 to the Hinton SPCA and the Jasper Veterinary Clinic to help abused and abandoned animals, Sept. 4.
As a pet friendly hotel, JPL charges guests $50 a night for each pet with $15 per pet, per night, going to the fund.
“Our guests love bringing pets to the lodge,” said Teresa Marshall, manager of public relations for the hotel. “It’s a perfect pet getaway and our guests really love the fact that we are giving back to the community with the help of them.”
This year is the first time the hotel has donated money to the Jasper Veterinary Clinic, which received $1,362, 20 per cent of the total donation. The Hinton SPCA received $4,620.
The donations will go toward helping cats and dogs in need of lifesaving treatments that their owners may not be able to afford on their own. The funds will also go toward spaying and neutering stray animals.
In Jasper, the money will go into a fund called the Besca Baily Trust Fund, which was started in 2003 thanks to a generous donation from a client of the Jasper Veterinary Clinic in memory of their two dogs.
“This will make a huge difference,” said Janet Jones, the veterinarian at the clinic.
“We use it for animals that need care whose owners truly can’t afford it,” she said, adding she has occasionally used it to help stray animals.
The fund is generally used for lifesaving or life-changing care and only pays for a portion of the overall care, usually in the $200 to $500 range, said Jones.
The donation will help replenish the coffers of the trust fund, which was beginning to run dry after years of helping animals in need of urgent care.
JPL’s donations were made on behalf of Stanley, the hotel’s black lab who is a member of the Canine Ambassadors program with Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
Paul Clarke reporter@fitzhugh
