Cat Lake Friends of Animush

10/29/2026

Thanks so much to Open Farm and Mattie’s Place for their generous donation. The food is so needed in our northern communities

10/07/2026

09/26/2026

[ WITH GRATITUDE ]

When Hands To Paws North reached out to Mattie's Place, requesting support in navigating food for northern dogs when there was no food left, I knew my friends at Open Farm would find a way to support as they have done for so many years.

Open Farm co-founders, Isaac & Jacqueline have always been supportive of rescue initiatives and show up time & time again and I'm thankful to them & their entire Open Farm teams.

On Tuesday, a transport truck rolled up in Thunder Bay with 5 large skids of pet food, treats & supplements for Hands To Paws North & Cat Lake Friends of Animush to distribute to northern communities in need.

Hands To Paws North is a small non profit group in Thunder Bay involved in liason, support, lobby and coordination of services to assist Northern Communities and their animals.

Alongside Cat Lake Friends of Animush, they work tirelessly to support community dogs & cats with vet care, supplies, grooming and added support.

Cat Lake Friends of Animush is a registered charitable organization promoting a safe and healthy environment by providing Spay/Neuter, vaccinations, and parasite control to pets in isolated First Nation communities.

This delivery of Open Farm food will serve the following communities: Fort Severn, Sioux Lookout and then on to two further remote fly-in communities.

Pamela Cowie, on behalf of Hands to Paws North & Cat Lake Friends of Animush stated:

"Words cannot express how thankful Cat Lake Friends of Animush and Hands to Paws North are to Open Farm and Mattie’s Place for providing the dog and cat food, treats and supplements along with the transportation of the 5 skids to Thunder Bay.

Receiving all of this at no cost to Cat Lake Friends of Animush and Hands to Paws North allows the organizations to continue maximizing funds in the vetting work that we do.

Thank you so very much"

Some photos from Cat Lake First Nation pets that will be receiving some of the pet food.

Thank you again to Open Farm for always showing up for pets in need. I appreciate you so much.

Please support the companies that support rescue initiatives. It's the only way we can truly give back.

09/13/2026

Cat Lake Friends of Animush are grateful for the support of the amazing businesses that donated to our veterinary clinics in
Round Lake and Cat Lake. Special thanks to Flossed Out, Old Dutch Chips, Mars Petcare, PetValu on Arthur, SkyCare, Sportchek and Spectrum Feeds. Lots of amazing prizes for the dogs, cats and people who attended the clinics! Thank you to all those that brought their pets into the clinic to take advantage of our pet services in both Round Lake and Cat Lake

09/01/2026

💙 A Heartfelt Thank You to the Eric S. Margolis Foundation 💙
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the Eric S. Margolis Foundation for their incredibly generous contribution toward our spay, neuter, and wellness efforts in the community of Cat Lake.
It is through the generosity of wonderful organizations like the Eric S. Margolis Foundation that we are able to make a meaningful difference for the dogs and cats of the community. Their support helps us address population concerns while providing essential vaccinations and wellness care to help keep the animal population healthier.
Because of the support we received, we were able to accomplish so much in Cat Lake, including:
🐾 31 dogs spayed
🐾 20 dogs neutered
🐾 65 wellness appointments completed
These numbers represent more than just procedures—they represent healthier animals, fewer unwanted litters, and a stronger, healthier community.
We truly could not do this work without the support of generous donors and organizations who believe in what we are doing. Every donation goes directly toward helping the dogs and cats who need us.
From all of us and, most importantly, from all the four-legged friends whose lives have been touched by this support—thank you, Eric S. Margolis Foundation, for helping us make a difference. 🐾❤️

08/28/2026

08/27/2026

🐾 A HUGE Thank You to Paws Across the Water! 🐾
We want to send a heartfelt thank you to Paws Across the Water for their incredibly generous donations towards our 2026 Round Lake Clinic. ❤️

Thanks to their support, our clinic was a tremendous success! Over 4½ days, we were able to care for an amazing 206 animals, providing spays, neuters, and wellness care.

Your generosity directly helps improve the health and well-being of animals in our communities and makes a lasting difference for both pets and their families.

From all of us — the community of Round Lake and especially the animals who received care — THANK YOU, Paws Across the Water! 🐾❤️

We are so grateful for your support and for helping us make the 2026 Round Lake Clinic such a success!

08/18/2026

In December 2025, Hands to Paws North was contacted by a remote northern community in need of pet food for the free-roaming dogs in their community. Cat Lake Friends of Animush has partnered with Hands to Paws on occasion, and they reached out to us to see if we could help source pet food and find a way to transport it to Thunder Bay and ultimately into the community.
This was not the first time we had responded to the needs of remote northern communities. Prior to the call-out surrounding the extreme wildfires, we were able to ship pet food into several communities that were anticipating evacuation. The goal was to ensure that food would be available for the animals left behind and for those community members who remained to care for them.

One of our Cat Lake Friends of Animush members took on the challenge of raising enough funds to purchase and transport 1,600 pounds of pet food. Thanks to their incredible efforts and the generosity of those who supported them, that food has now been shipped into a community in need.

We continue to source pet food and look for ways to support remote northern communities. The need remains ongoing, and we are committed to helping provide food and support for animals whose communities face limited access to these essential resources.

Every bag of food makes a difference, and every contribution helps us reach another community in need.