Lisa Winn, Melissa McClelland and Janine Stoll started the Ladybird Animal Sanctuary and are raising money to give the sanctuary a permanent home.RAINA+WILSON/Supplied
The organizers: Melissa McClelland, Janine Stoll and Lisa Winn
The pitch: Founding the Ladybird Animal Sanctuary
Melissa McClelland, Janine Stoll and Lisa Winn were chatting over a few glasses of wine one evening when Ms. Winn started talking about an adorable cat that was about to be euthanized.
The three women had been friends since childhood and they shared a passion for singing and animals. Ms. Winn worked at a shelter at the time and the cat in question had been diagnosed with feline leukemia. “I just was complaining to Melissa and Janine about this one day when we were drinking wine in Melissa’s backyard and Melissa was like, ‘Well, let’s just start a rescue,’” Ms. Winn recalled.
That was in 2010 and the three women soon launched the Ladybird Animal Sanctuary in Hamilton. The charity operates a foster service and they have a group of volunteers who take in everything from cats, dogs, rabbits, rats and even a goat.
The women have always wanted to buy a piece of land to give the sanctuary a permanent home. They’ve been saving up for years and would like to purchase around 20 acres.
Each year they host a fundraising event in Dundas, Ont., called Ladybird Soiree – this year it’s on April 10 – which includes performances from a variety of musicians as well as the three friends.
Their current fundraising campaign has a goal of $200,000 which will be matched by Michael and Carol Desnoyers who live in Ancaster, Ont.
The Desnoyers are dog lovers and they’ve been regular donors to Ladybird. Last year they offered to help the sanctuary find a home for a pair of Golden Retrievers who were in poor health by agreeing to cover the costs of the dogs’ care for the rest of their lives.
When the Desnoyers found out that the friends were raising money to buy land, they immediately offered to match all donations up to $200,000. “My wife and I like to do things where there’s a project, so this is their project,” said Mr. Desnoyers.
Ms. Winn, 52, said working on the sanctuary and sharing a love of singing has kept the friends close over the years. “We will always want to sing together because we just love each other.”