Wow, today is my lucky day. Seems my wife got a call from Mike at Babine Animal Hospital yesterday requesting her to meet him at Smithers Brewing. “Use the back door, please.”
What’s this about I asked?
“Well you better come along she said, maybe there is a story here,” she said.
I have always wanted a tour of that facility and now’s my chance.
We knock on the rear entrance door and almost secretively we are let in.
“What’s happening? I asked Blaine, one of the owners of the Brewery.
“We are having a canning moment for a new product called Powder Hound,” said Blaine. “This is the plan we have been working on with Mike the vet.”
Seems Mike had an idea for a fundraiser for Northwest Animal Shelter and the excitement was palpable. Everyone in that brewhouse was grinning from ear to ear.
“What we have done here in conjunction with Smithers Brewing Company is create a new product to introduce to the community,” said Mike. “A portion of the sales will be passed on to Northwest Animal Shelter as donations.”
Smithers Brewing, through their brewmaster, Cam, developed a one-of-a-kind product to support this fundraiser.
“I have been a partner in this business for the past five years and we have been involved in several community projects,” said Cam. “This is something we like to get behind and, guess what, we all have dogs so the project feels good.”
The shelter has been in the community for the past 20 years and is volunteer-run. This is a no-kill operation that concentrates on rescue, socialization, and adoption to a forever home as their mandate. Naturally, all of the rescued dogs and cats are spayed and neutered, vaccinated and vet-checked.
Mike and his crew at Babine Animal Hospital have been working closely with the shelter to provide services at a reduced rate. Annually vet costs for the shelter can exceed $70,000 and the majority of these funds are secured through donations.
“How did you come up with this idea, Mike,” I inquired.
“Well, one of the local breweries in Prince George tried it with great success,” said Mike. “I pitched the plan to the boys at Smithers Brewery and they jumped on board. First off, Cam had to make the brew and then after its prescribed time in the curing vats, the bottling or canning came together today. We have installed my logo, Babine Animal Hospital and Northwest Animal Shelter’s logo on the label, this is so cool.”
“The product will be available on-site and in Liquor stores throughout B.C.” said Adin, another partner in the Brewing organization. “These types of projects create a sense of pride in the community. We have brewed several special beers to support various situations. Even our fourth partner Sasha has a dog and is 100 per cent behind this initiative.”
So after the canning work today, Powder Hound will be hidden away and kept in secret until the actual launch date Saturday, March 4 from 4 until 8 p.m.
It will stand to be a special evening and hopefully a great fundraiser for the Northwest Animal Shelter.
“Thanks very much for this collaboration, what a great way to help animals in the Bulkley Valley,” expressed my wife, Sara Tomlinson, also president of NWAS.