The BC SPCA Wild ARC’s wild animal film festival event is underway. The Paws and Claws Film festival is the first of its kind in Western Canada, and wildlife films from the area are currently being submitted. There are several great events being held to celebrate these films and our local wildlife.
On Wednesday Nov. 2 at 7 p.m., select Paws and Claws film entries will be viewed at the Gibson Auditorium on Lansdowne campus of Camosun College. Admission is by donation, but if you cannot make it in person, select films will also be available online for viewing and you can vote for your favourite film here spca.bc.ca/filmfestival starting Oct. 31.
Winning films will be selected in the categories of ‘Critic’s Choice’ and ‘People’s Choice’ and announced at the main event, the Paws and Claws Soiree, Saturday Nov. 5 at CFB Esquimalt (Naden Wardroom). The Paws and Claws Soiree includes a dinner and auction, along with the film awards, with all funds raised going to help local injured and orphaned wildlife.
The BC SPCA Wild ARC receives no direct government funding, which means annual fundraisers like Paws and Claws are crucial to covering operating costs.
“So far this year, we have treated over 1,700 animals from the southern Vancouver Island region. This number is up 10 per cent from this time last year and what is also going up is the cost of their care,” says Wild ARC’s Branch Manager Kari Marks. “The animals require specialized medicine, food and enclosures tailored to their needs.”
The Paws and Claws Soiree will take place at 6:30 p.m. at CFB Esquimalt (Naden Wardroom) on Nov. 5. Tickets for the event are available for purchase online spca.bc.ca/filmfestival or by phone BC SPCA Wild ARC 250-478-9453.
The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to prevent cruelty and to promote the welfare of animals through a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.