'Everybody wins': Saskatoon SPCA garage sale makes room for fundraising

Garage sale season started a little early in Saskatoon this year.

The SPCA held a garage sale Saturday to make use of some its more abundant gently used donations that might go unused.

“It’s just trying to clear out some of the stuff. Like any place, storage is always an issue,” SPCA executive director Fred Dyck said.

“So, if we can help people get some stuff in their lives and that helps us turn this stuff into money that we can use for health care for the animals, it all works. Everybody wins.”

It’s the first time the SPCA has held the garage sale fundraiser as a way of not only clearing out some much-needed storage space since moving to Hanselman Avenue last year, but to also provide a new home for hundreds of pet items like: leashes, dog bowls, clothing, chew toys and crates, while also turning those items into cash donations for the SPCA.

“One hundred per cent goes to animal care and connecting, humans and animals and adoption,” Dyck said. “That's really where all of our funds go. Seventy-five per cent of our revenue is generated through fundraising, so activities like this, we're doing them all the time, trying everything we can to pay for how we do things.”

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The SPCA moved to its new location near the airport last January after it was unable to successfully renew its contract as the city’s pound keeper following 55 years of doing so, the charity reaffirmed its commitment to animal welfare.

Dyck says in 2024 the SPCA received roughly 1,400 donations, marking a first successful year at its new facility, and it can only continue with community support.

“When they're in our care, they get the best chance to move on to have this great life when they get adopted out,” Dyck said. “So, it's a pretty cool experience.”

Nearly all of the items available at the garage sale Saturday are marked for donation instead of having a price tag.

Watching groups of people enter the building and sift through piles of items brought a smile to Dyck’s face, knowing the animals that will benefit from the generosity seen on Saturday.

“I mean, we don't exist without fundraising,” Dyck said. “Some of that money we need to be able to control and decide where its most greatest needs are. Turning product into cash helps us to do that.”

The SPCA regularly updates its wish list items on its website for anyone looking to donate currently needed items.