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VIDEO: Langley animal shelter raises $35,000 selling cat condos

Creative approach to fundraising will help equip new isolation facility
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A kitten plays hide-and-seek at the LAPS facility in Langley. They were part of a unique real-estate-style “condo” promotion to raise funds for a new isolation unit for sick cats. Dan Ferguson Langley Times

A fundraising campaign that sold “cat condos” has raised $35,000 for the Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS) in Langley.

“It was a lot of fun,” said LAPS executive director Jayne Nelson.

Nelson said the idea came up during a brainstorming session to develop creative fundraising ideas to help pay for some additions to a new cat isolation facility at the shelter.

While the facility is fully-funded, LAPS wanted to add things like internet connections for live-streaming from the facility, toys and other extras.

On Saturday May 6, the shelter, located at 26220 56 Ave., was briefly transformed into a presentation centre, complete with realtor signs, balloons, snacks and sales people.

The signs were real, courtesy of Jamie Schreder of Schreder Brothers Real Estate Group with Royal LePage Wolstencroft, who helped ensure the experience was as close to the real thing as possible.

Like an actual condo presentation, The Mews at ISOasis is yet to be built.

But unlike most real estate presentations, there were kittens on display, playing in an observation room.

The name is a play on “isolation oasis” which describes the facility that will assess cats and kittens before they are housed in the shelter to limit the spread of feline-related diseases.

There were 12 condo spaces on sale.

In return for making the purchase, buyers won naming room rights and their own keepsake keys.

By the end of the day, six of the units had been sold.

Some buyers bought units, then paid for multiple upgrades.

One was purchased by long-time LAPS supporters Louise and David Selby, who managed to snag an especially desirable corner unit.

“We’ve done very well” Louise Selby said, smiling.

She said the building will be “wonderful” both cats and staff at LAPS, “(because) they’re working under pretty tight conditions right now.”

As for the six remaining units, they are still up for sale. Donors can contact LAPS at info@lapsbc.ca.



Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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