Abbotsford SPCA branch manager Jodi Dunlop is going to put herself through what the kennelled dogs at the facility experience, right down to wearing a collar.
Dunlop will be locked up, reliant on people to give her food and water, depending on them to take her out for fresh air and exercise, and with just a sleeping bag for comfort.
“I want to experience what the dogs experience, and I’m sure it’ll be an eye-opener,” said Dunlop.
She will spend 30 hours in an SPCA kennel, hoping to raise $5,000 toward the Paws for a Cause fundraiser.
The lockup will begin at noon on Aug. 20.
“It’ll be fun until five, when everyone (staff) leaves,” she predicts. “I know I won’t get much sleep. They bark at night.”
She will have company. Her cellmate will be Stewie, a six-month-old Chihuahua pup that the SPCA rescued. She bottle fed him for two and a half weeks, and “we kind of got attached,” she said. She named him for the popular Family Guy cartoon character, and decided to adopt him.
Supporters will be able to buy her a cookie, or Stewie a dog biscuit, or take them for a walk, for a minimum $5 donation.
Dunlop will not be able to sneak out under cover of darkness and go home. There will be a webcam in her kennel.
Paws for a Cause is a province-wide SPCA fundraiser scheduled for Sept. 11. It is the major fundraiser for the SPCA, and the target for the Abbotsford/Hope region is $15,000.
For more information on Paws for a Cause, or to donate online, see www.spca.bc.ca. At the bottom of the page is a link to the Abbotsford branch.