North·Photos

Whitehorse animal shelter spruced up thanks to volunteers

The Mae Bachur Animal Shelter has finished renovations that include new outdoor pens paid for by a bequest from a long time volunteer.

The Mae Bachur Animal Shelter in Whitehorse is looking renewed after renovations, done mostly by volunteers.

Betty Irwin, the shelter's manager, says indoors, the kennels have been upgraded with new floors, panels and even some cracks in the wall that needed to be repaired.

"We did not have to hire anyone except for the electrical people, so yeah, there were hours of volunteer labour that went into this," Irwin says.

The manager of the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter, Betty Irwin, says the renovations were done almost completely by volunteers. (Philippe Morin/CBC)

Outside, the dogs have new outdoor pens that are larger and will give the dogs more room to roam.

Irwin says the new pens are thanks to a bequest from a long time volunteer, Laura Miller-Goodall, who left $20,000 for the shelter. She had taken the shelter dogs for walks for many years.

Irwin says the other renovations were paid for with government grants and public donations. She says fund raising continues for a new shelter to be built within five years.