Christmas fundraiser aims to reduce Cambridge Humane Society’s medical bills

Santa Claus is coming to Cambridge this month for a fundraiser for the Cambridge Humane Society. They’re hosting their first Pet Pics with Santa Paws to raise money for medical bills that keep piling on.

Dog owners are invited to bring their pet to Ren’s Pet Depot on Nov.23 at 34 Pinebush Rd. and get a photo with Santa for a small $5 donation.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that Saturday.

They will also be selling calendars to help celebrate their 70^th anniversary in 2025.

The Cambridge Humane Society’s executive director, Michelle Gellatly, said a lot of the donations they receive will go towards growing medical expenses.

“We are seeing an awful lot of animals that are being abandoned or the strays not being picked up, that have more medical issues,” said Gellatly.

“I’m seeing them a little higher this year then I have in the last six-years.”

The humane society does not have a vet clinic on site: Gellatly said they are grateful for the vets in the community they work with.

They run solely on public donations and partners like Ren’s Pets to help support the animals in their care. The money raised for the Christmas event is applied to medical costs, as Gellatly said that’s where most their expenses are going.

Every year, their medical expenses sit at around $100,000 – but are projected to increase to around $140,000.

The money raised also helps support two community outreach programs of theirs like the Compassion Program that helps with emergency medical costs and the Emergency Pet Food Bank.

Gellatly mentioned they’re seeing a large increase in people accessing pet food banks over the last year, with an increase of about 43 per cent.

Community members are also invited to check out the Cambridge & District Humane Society’s Amazon Wishlist online to see what they need.