About the Cause

A fire swept through the Humane Society of Durham Region shelter in December 2008, taking the lives of more than 100 animals. Firefighters and Police were only able to rescue 13 animals. In its wake, those who cared for and loved the animals inside were heartbroken. Pickering Town Centre employees and animal lovers were among those who felt the pain.

"We've been wanting to do something, but we just didn't know when," said Lorna Murphy, PTC marketing director. "March break we have lots of families in the mall anyway so we thought it was a good time for awareness."

The Pickering Town Centre is gearing up for Raise the Woof!, a week full of free fun for kids, and awareness about the humane society and the cats, dogs and other animals that need loving homes. The event takes place March 15 to 19.

Ten different varieties of plush pets, at a cost of $5 each, will be available throughout the week. The pets each have a name and will come with a profile card. A couple of them were named after some of the animals that managed to survive the fire.

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