Many people in Steinbach experienced water damage to their yards and homes yesterday and Steinbach and Area Animal Rescue (SAAR) was hit hard.
Vice President of SAAR, Graham Pollock says water came from the creek behind the building and flooded in through the windows, destroying the basement of the brand-new building.
“It destroyed most of our storage downstairs where we store all our dog food, cat food, cat litter, all our dog beds, cat beds, everything that we use to supply our fosters. Everything that we use down there was pretty much underwater and so probably our furnace and our HVAC system and everything that was not even two months old, is now probably destroyed.”
The nine cats and one dog at the rescue were immediately placed at foster homes, and Pollock says that getting the animals cared for was the priority.
He shares that it is very frustrating, but he is grateful for all of the help they received from the community.
“When we looked at it and the first call went out on social media, the response from volunteers and some of our fosters, a local church, and just the business community, that side of it, it was kind of heartwarming to see that response, but it's been pretty devastating for us, and it sets us back big time.”
Pollock explains that their insurance covers surface water and overland flooding, but they will have lots of fundraising to do.
“The problem is, it's a commercial building and because it's surface water, the deductible is high. Our deductible is $25,000. And so that has to be paid upfront before insurance kicks in. So, it's going to be fundraising and for not-for-profit, that that kind of relies on donations and charitable gifts, we don't get regular grants from anywhere to cover things like this.”
Pollock plans to speak with their insurance company as soon as possible to find out if they can start the cleanup process.
“We want to get the go-ahead to immediately start to tear down the drywall that's being affected by the moisture and start to clean up the basement because of mold. We don't want to have to deal with mold on top of everything else, so we need to start that process really quickly.”
The SAAR team began cleanup around 11 am this morning and asks the community for their help.
“If somebody wants to help us out and volunteer as a handyman that can help us cut drywall and things like that. If they feel that they can spare two or three hours, they can come by the building. I don't know how many people we're going to have there. Today I know the basement basically needs to be completely cleaned out and then I think we're going to start removing drywall that kind of thing, like I say, as soon as the insurance says it's ok.”
He says donations of dog, cat, and kitten food, beds, blankets, litter, or cash can be dropped off at PetValu or Best West Foods in Steinbach.
Donations can also be made through their website, steinbachanimalrescue.com, or E-transfer to donate.saar@gmail.com.
-With files from Dave Anthony