Moncton SPCA becomes PAW to reflect independence, community programing

One of Atlantic Canada's largest non-profit animal rescue shelters now goes by a different name.

The Greater Moncton SPCA has rebranded to become People for Animal Wellbeing, or PAW. 

According to the organization's president, Christian Moger, the move was made to reflect an increased emphasis on community outreach. 

"Over the years, we've really evolved in what we do," he said. "We're definitely more than just a shelter. We continue to offer all those shelter services people have come to know and love, but we've developed many more community programs as well."

He said the rebranding process took about two years, and the cost to the organization is not being made public. 

According to Moger, some programming that was designed to be temporary during the pandemic continues to be in high demand.

With the rebranding, the organization wants to make some of these programs permanent, including pet safekeeping for people staying in shelters to escape domestic violence. 

Moger said the confidential program assists victims who may be delaying their decision to leave an abuser because they can't take their pets into a shelter. 

"It's a no-questions-asked situation," he said. "We arrange for some sort of transport and safekeeping of their pets until they are able to find themselves a new situation."

Pet Safe Keeping partners with agencies such as Crossroads for Women, which provides shelter and assistance to domestic violence victims in the Moncton region. 

Jamie Olsen, a crisis intake worker at Crossroads, called the program "invaluable."

She said many abusers use pets to gain control over their partner.

"People don't realize how animal abuse and domestic violence are intertwined," Olsen said. "We have women that if they know there isn't a safe place for their pet to go, they'll stay because they know something will happen to it."

She said the organization isn't able to accommodate most pets at this time because of space restrictions.