Tim Hubley feels a deep sense of gratitude toward the Nova Scotia SPCA.
When he and his wife Annette fell on hard times, the Nova Scotia SPCA was there for them. Their dog Kahlua required urgent medical care to treat her epilepsy in January 2021 and came to the SPCA’s Veterinary Hospital located in Dartmouth.
Thanks to generous donor support, the SPCA could help with the cost of Kahlua’s medical care. As a result, Kahlua received the treatment she needed and was able to stay together with her loving family. Tim and Annette were ecstatic and so thankful for the SPCA’s help.
A Big and Sudden Loss
Sadly, Annette passed away unexpectedly a few months later. The sudden loss of his life-partner hit Tim extremely hard. To make matters worse, soon after, Kahlua ran out of her epilepsy pills.
“I didn’t have the money needed to buy more. I called the SPCA Veterinary Hospital, and they told me to come over and they would give me the pills until I had the money to pay for them.”
The SPCA was there again for Tim when he needed help. This is something that Tim is forever grateful for as his pups mean so much to him.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done the first couple of months when Annette passed away had I not had my dogs.”
Love of Dogs
Tim’s fondness of dogs started at a young age growing up in Spryfield.
“There were always dogs around. I lived in a neighborhood where the houses were close together therefore a lot of animals close together.”
Tim’s family has included several dogs during his lifetime. His family adopted his first dog at the age of 12, a female fox terrier chihuahua mix named Tiny. After Tiny, there was Bruce, Toby and now Kahlua, Gizmo and Precious.
His love of dogs grew even more when he met Annette who was an animal enthusiast too. Their passion for dogs helped them create a special bond. Tim fondly remembers how Annette convinced him to adopt Kahlua.
“If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t have Kahlua. She saw her up for adoption on a website and immediately fell in love with her. She made the phone call and did what was necessary to get her. And that’s how we ended up with Kahlua.”
Tim is incredibly happy that Annette’s persuasion skills worked on him in this case.
Giving Back to the SPCA
Later that year and two days before Christmas, the storage shed at the SPCA’s Dartmouth Shelter was broken into and a significant amount of pet food, treats and beds were stolen. As soon as Tim heard the news, he jumped into action and drove down to the Dartmouth Shelter to help by making a generous financial donation. Tim was in a much better financial situation then and felt compelled to give back out of appreciation for when the SPCA helped him and Annette during their time of need.
Soon after, Tim made the decision to name the SPCA in his will.
“Visiting the shelter made me realize that naming the SPCA in my will was the right thing to do.”
Tim encourages others to consider leaving a gift in their will to the SPCA.
“I don’t think there’s any better place to leave a gift. The number of animals that they help every day is incredible. I know how much this gift is appreciated by the SPCA.”
The Nova Scotia SPCA is very fortunate to receive the incredible support that it does from the general community. This support allows it to assist approximately 15,000 animals in need annually. To the surprise of many, the SPCA doesn’t receive any government funding for animal care or facility operations.
For nearly 150 years, the Nova Scotia SPCA has been funded by compassionate animal lovers, just like Tim. Tim’s estate gift will assist in ensuring that hurt pets receive needed medical attention and abandoned animals receive care — what an incredible legacy.
Tim feels particularly good about his decision to name the SPCA in his will and has no doubts that Annette would feel the same.
“She’s smiling down on me. There’s no question about it.”
To learn more about leaving a gift in your will to the SPCA, please contact Christa Jensen at cjensen@spcans.ca or 902-536-3143.