As we continue preparing for the future David and Helen Capin Regional Centre for Pets and People, I have been reflecting on the partnerships – and people – that have helped make this next chapter possible.
One of those partnerships has been with the Town of Collingwood.
The Town has been part of our story for many years, and its support has taken different forms as the GTHS has grown. Since we moved into our current Animal Centre on Tenth Line in 2012, the Town has provided the land our facility sits on, helping create stability for our organization and a foundation for the services our community relies on today.
More recently, as we prepare for the future Regional Centre for Pets and People (RCPP), the Town has stepped forward with a significant financial commitment to the campaign, along with thoughtful guidance and support from Town staff. Together, this long-standing partnership has helped the GTHS grow from a local animal shelter into a regional organization, serving thousands of pets and people each year across the six municipalities we serve: Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, the Town of The Blue Mountains, Meaford, Clearview, and Grey Highlands.
We are deeply grateful for that support.
Today, as we look to the future, the Town of Collingwood continues to play a leading role in supporting animal welfare and community wellbeing in South Georgian Bay. Their commitment recognizes something important: when we invest in animal services, we are also investing in people, families, safety, compassion, and the overall health of our community.
While the future RCPP will be located in Collingwood, it was never envisioned as a solution for one municipality alone. Animal welfare, public safety, and humane outcomes do not stop at municipal boundaries, and neither do the challenges associated with stray, abandoned, and vulnerable animals.
The Town of Collingwood’s leadership reflects a clear understanding of that shared responsibility. We are also grateful to the other municipal partners who have already stepped forward in support of the RCPP, including Clearview and Wasaga Beach. Their support demonstrates the kind of regional commitment this project requires as the need for animal services continues to grow across South Georgian Bay.
We continue to encourage all communities served by the GTHS to see themselves in this project, because all communities benefit when compassionate animal services are accessible close to home. The RCPP is a significant project, and it will take many hands and many hearts to bring it fully to life.
To the Town of Collingwood: thank you for being part of the GTHS story, and for continuing to help shape what comes next.
And to everyone who believes in this work, there is still an important role to play. Whether through municipal partnership, donor support, business leadership, volunteering, or community giving, every act of support helps ensure pets and people across South Georgian Bay can access the care they need, when they need it.
Together, we can build a future where compassionate support for pets and people remains close to home.
Karen Marsh
Executive Director
