Elsewhere you can read a story by reporter John Cairns about the Battlefords Animal Shelter’s second annual jail and bail fundraiser. In it you will learning I am going to be arrested.
Traditionally those ending up in jail under these conditions make a pitch to be bailed out, but as last year’s event proved, it is easy to do all your fundraising ahead of time, so you don’t actually have to spend any time in the cage.
Rather than looking to be bailed out, shelter manager Michelle Spark has made a pledge to sleep overnight in the cage if enough money is raised by her supporters. That’s really brave. I’ve been in that building. To say it is a bit smelly would be a huge understatement, although I expect Michelle is accustomed to it. Then there is the noise factor. Put a bunch of dogs together and they’re going to chat. So, if Michelle is willing to do that for the good of the shelter, then I think the community should get solidly behind her and pledge, pledge, pledge.
As I said, it’s not that hard to fundraise ahead of time to post bail so you won’t spend any time in the cage. Here’s my challenge. If you want me, not always the most popular woman in town on occasion, to actually spend three hours in the smelly cage, then you need to get behind the “Jail the Editor” campaign.
Give the shelter a call at 306-937-MEOW or drop by with a donation. You can text 306-937-PETS to check up on the campaign, to see if more money is needed to keep me behind bars.
You can also follow my incarceration through the News-Optimist Facebook page on the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 2. I’ll be keeping you posted on whether I think there’s enough money coming in or whether I might just cut a cheque and go home to take a long, soapy shower.
But, don’t worry. I’m still social media challenge. I’ll be channeling my posts through John Cairns.
“Talk” to you next Tuesday.
