Carmen Ward comes by her love of animals naturally.
“It’s a family affair,” says Ward, the main caretaker of the Flin Flon, Creighton and Area SPCA animal shelter.
For Ward, it all started with her mom, Debbie Hiebert, one of the Flin Flon area’s strongest animal advocates.
Growing up, Ward’s family would often house animals, and Ward herself began bringing stray animals home when she was three years old.
Hiebert, who owns Stillwater Kennels at White Lake, was a trained veterinarian’s assistant and was often called on to look after animals in need.
“Just being a part of that with my mom and being so involved with the strays in town, from that [my love of animals] just kind of evolved,” says Ward.
After her 1991 graduation from Hapnot Collegiate, Ward lived in BC for 20 years in various communities. Animals remained close to her heart.
She attended Vancouver Island University and completed her education to become a veterinary assistant – just like her mom.
Ward spent years working at various clinics, including the Chemainus Animal Hospital, before moving back to Flin Flon three years ago.
When the local SPCA began seeking candidates to run its animal shelter, Ward crossed her fingers and applied.
Her educational background and nearly two decades of experience helped seal the deal. Ward has been with the shelter since its 2012 opening.
Ward spends her days cleaning, taking care of the dozen animals currently in care and setting up fundraisers, as well as trying to help animals in emergency situations.
And just as her mom’s passion for animals rubbed off on her all of those years ago, Ward says that same love is growing in her own daughter.
Hannah Rogerson, 15, lives in BC with her father, but spends holidays in Flin Flon, where she can be found at the SPCA shelter or Hiebert’s kennels. Hannah also hopes to become a veterinary assistant.
“She’ll phone me and say, ‘Mom, I’m just like you,’ and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing,” Ward laughs. “But in the animal sense, I think it’s a great thing having that compassion and just the awareness of the need to help. I’m proud.”
Ward and her husband, who married in Las Vegas last July, travel as frequently as they can – when she isn’t at the shelter.
They often visit family in Florida and have plans to go to Montreal and Banff, Alberta, in the springtime. Ward also hopes to see Tuscany in Italy and Costa Rica in Central America.
“I’d like to go somewhere new every year for a holiday,” says Ward. “I’m starting to realize how important holidays are.
Ward may not be at the shelter around the clock, but she says her job does consume her thoughts and actions throughout the day – even when she isn’t there.
Currently, there are six dogs and five cats in the shelter, but she says she knows there are many more without homes in the frigid temperatures.
“I’m surprised we’re not more full,” Ward says. “It kind of worries me and I’m wondering where they are, especially the cats. I keep thinking, ‘Where are all these cats?’ They can easily get lost and buried in their little caves.”
As temperatures continue to drop, Ward says it’s the -40 nights that keep her up at night.
“I’m up at night thinking about the animals,” she says.
Looking ahead, Ward would like to see Flin Flon gain an animal protection officer, though she says the provincial government doesn’t think one is needed in the community.
An animal protection officer would have the legal authority to write tickets as well as seize and remove animals from dangerous situations.
“I truly believe that our area needs someone,” she said.
In her work on behalf of animals, Ward feels she has the ultimate role model in her mom.
“If I could do half the things my mother has done for the animals in our community, I know I have done right,” says Ward. “My mom – she’s been my rock.”
