SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Members of the NWT SPCA board will be at city hall Monday to find out if city council will approve the donation of land for an animal shelter.

Nicole Spencer, president of the organization, said the SPCA is about $100,000 away from being able to afford the shelter's construction, but it can't afford the additional cost of land. The piece of land being looked at is two lots in the Engle Business District.

"We're really looking to get that donated to us because it does cost so much to build a shelter," she said.

"Purchasing is only going to be possible if it's going to be long, long-term and it's going to be small monthly payments because we don't have money to buy it."

The SPCA has had its sights set on building a shelter since late last year when Spencer entered the organization in a national competition put on by Aviva Canada to provide funding for community projects. After thousands of votes were registered in support of the project, the SPCA was awarded $300,000 from the fund to put toward the shelter.

Between that lump sum and donations from the community, including $100,000 donated by BHP Billiton two weeks ago, the organization is about $100,000 away from its $600,000 goal.

Spencer said it's important for Yellowknife to have a shelter because there are so many dogs across the territory that need a home.

In six months, the NWT SPCA rescued 90 dogs, she said.

"That's 90 dogs that we've had that we've either shipped out or fostered here and adopted out here.

"That's just since November. Imagine if we had a facility – it's going to be probably 250 to 300 dogs that we would help every year."

With $100,000 to go, Spencer said she hopes companies across the territory will pitch in to help the organization reach its target.

"It's a territory-wide thing," she said. "It's not just Yellowknife, it's the territory, so we want the bigger companies throughout the Northwest Territories to donate as well."

The organization hopes to build a 3,000-square-foot facility, with a room fit for 15 cats, 30 indoor dog kennels and 10 outdoor kennels for Northern dogs.

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