Home Again fundraisers help animals in need

January 29, 2026

By Nate Smelle

Since it’s inception in 2009, Home Again Animal Rescue has relied on the generosity of the community generosity, and the determination of its volunteers to meet the growing needs of vulnerable cats and dogs throughout the Bancroft area. In light of the fact that each year the organization spends approximately $120,000 on veterinary expenses, fundraising is essential to ensuring Home Again can continue to help local animals in need.

In conversation with Bancroft This Week, Home Again’s president Christine Walker, who is also a volunteer, recently discussed two of its most important fundraising initiatives — the Give Back Raffle and the annual Betty White Challenge. Highlighting the organization’s financial realities, she reflected on their volunteers deep commitment to both the animals it serves and the community that sustains it.

The Give Back Raffle was born out of both necessity and opportunity, explained Walker. The idea, she said, had been circulating for years but lacked the upfront resources required to get off the ground. “The idea of a large prizes raffle came about quite a few years ago, but there was never enough money to get it started,” Walker said. That changed in 2024, when an anonymous supporter made a monetary donation that allowed the rescue to finally launch the initiative.

Rather than using the funds for day-to-day operations, Walker said Home Again made a deliberate choice to invest in a fundraiser that would benefit multiple layers of its community. “The idea behind the Give Back Raffle is layered,” she said. “Home Again does not get any government funding and corporate sponsorships are scarce in our rural area. It has been the generosity of our local businesses and individuals who have allowed Home Again to continue year after year.”

Using the donation to purchase prizes — primarily gift certificates from local businesses — allowed Home Again to both fundraise and give back. “The Give Back Raffle is way for Home Again to give back a bit to our community,” Walker said. “Gift certificates purchased from local businesses and giving them some added exposure are a small way of showing our appreciation for their ongoing support.”

For participants, the raffle offers the chance to win substantial prizes while supporting a cause close to home. “Our communities and supporters get an opportunity to win some pretty big prizes and, even if they don’t win a prize, they are helping the rescue animals win,” Walker noted. Just as importantly, the raffle provides Home Again with something rare in the rescue world: predictability. “Home Again and the animals win by have a fairly predictable amount of money to depend on for their care.”

The first Give Back Raffle launched in May 2024, with the draw taking place in January 2025. Its success underscored both the generosity of the community and the ongoing need for sustainable fundraising models in animal rescue. This year’s raffle raised a grand total of $14,000. Prizes include a $5,000 travel voucher, $2,500 in local gift certificates, and cash prizes of $1,500 and $1,000.

Acknowledging the significant number of animals in need of care in the region they serve, Walker pointed out that Home Again consistently rehomes more than 200 cats and dogs each year. And the demand continues to rise, she said. “This year the total is 238,” Walker said, a figure that reflects both population pressures and changing circumstances for pet owners.

Walker explained to Bancroft This Week that the reasons animals come into Home Again’s care differ between cats and dogs. For cats, she said the most common cause is unplanned litters. “For cats, the predominant reason is pregnancy,” Walker explained. “People with unspayed females end up with unwanted kittens.” Home Again ensures that kittens receive necessary veterinary care and are rehomed responsibly, while the mother cat is spayed — regardless of whether she remains with her owner or enters the rescue system. The organization also covers the cost of spaying or neutering the kittens when they are old enough. Another frequent scenario involves well-meaning individuals who take in stray cats but are unable or unwilling to keep them long term.

For dogs, the picture is different. “For Dogs, the predominant reason is a circumstance change,” Walker said. These changes can include moves to retirement homes, housing that does not allow dogs, illness, injury, physical challenges, or death. A growing concern for Home Again is the rise in preventable surrenders. “Preventable surrenders have grown rapidly in recent years,” Walker noted, often driven by “lack of training/guidance and lack of knowledge about the dog’s breed.” Unspayed dogs and unclaimed dogs taken in by the public also contribute to intake numbers, with Home Again ensuring that mother dogs are spayed when puppies are surrendered.

Underlying all of this work is a profound personal commitment. “I am an animal lover and there are so many in need in our area, everywhere really,” Walker said. “I look after animals and work with dogs professionally. They having given me not only my livelihood but are my passion. It is important that I give back what I can to them.”

That passion is tested daily by the financial realities of rescue. “Veterinary care makes up almost all of Home Again’s expenses,” Walker said. Nearly every animal requires spaying or neutering, vaccinations, parasite treatments, and microchipping. Many arrive with additional medical needs. “There is just no way to foresee when an emergency will happen and how expensive it wiIl be. Rescue is unpredictable,” she added, citing cases ranging from amputations and orthopedic surgeries to pneumonia, parvo, eye surgeries, and quill removals.

Complementing the Give Back Raffle is Home Again’s participation in the Betty White Challenge, an annual fundraiser held around Jan. 17 to honour the late actor and animal welfare activist’s birthday. “Betty White was not only a talented actress and comedian, she was a huge animal lover,” Walker said. “The Betty White Challenge started on her birthday, Jan. 17, 2022 and is a way to honour her on her birthday by giving to animal welfare organizations all over the world.” For Home Again, it is both a tribute and an opportunity. “Home Again is grateful to ride on the coattails of her good name to fundraise for our rescue pets.”

As an all-volunteer organization — and the only cat and dog rescue serving its large rural region — Home Again continues to grow alongside the need it sees. “The need is growing and so are we,” Walker said. “Home Again is always looking for fosters, volunteers, and people for key positions.”

Through initiatives like the Give Back Raffle and the Betty White Challenge, Home Again is not only keeping its doors open, but reinforcing a powerful message: when a community comes together, everyone — animals and people alike — stands to benefit. Walker also said Home Again plans to kick off its third annual Give Back Raffle this spring.

To learn more about Home Again, adopt an animal companion, make a donation, or get involved as a volunteer visit Home Again’s online at: https://homeagainbancroft.ca/