To the Editor,
I have an idea that I believe our community desperately needs.
The building in the middle of Hawkesbury that was used as the COVID vaccination centre is sitting mostly empty. I don’t know who owns the property or what plans there are for it, but I believe we should be asking: Could this building become an animal shelter, affordable veterinary clinic, and emergency animal hospital?
Right now, shelters are full. Rescues are full. And when there is nowhere left to take an animal, people can end up having to put their pets out on the streets — animals that were once someone’s beloved family members, suddenly treated like garbage because there is simply nowhere for them to go.
We also desperately need low-income veterinary services for our town and the surrounding communities. The nearest emergency animal hospital is Alta Vista Animal Hospital in Ottawa. That’s a long way to go when an animal is injured, suffering, or fighting for its life.
Why not turn an empty space into a place that saves lives?
A place where someone struggling financially could get affordable veterinary care. A place where abandoned animals could be safe instead of left on the streets. A place where emergencies could be treated close to home. A place where rescue animals could have somewhere to go until they find their forever families.
I’m asking our community to at least look into this idea — find out who owns the building, what it would take, and whether we can come together to make something like this happen.
Let’s turn an empty building into a place of hope instead of watching animals become another statistic.
Sincerely,
Annemarie Howe
Hawkesbury
