Round of a-paws: Proud dog mom raises thousands for Humane Society

An Allen’s Side Road resident who transformed her property into a winter wonderland in support of the Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society has made a giant donation to the shelter. 

For the second straight year, Rosa Carello invited hundreds of locals and their furry friends to her north-end home throughout the month of December so they could enjoy a variety of Christmas-themed light displays, pet inflatables, sleighs and carriages, photo cutouts, and visits with Santa.

Organizing the festivities in honour of her young pup Prince, Carello asked attendees to make a donation to the Humane Society during their visit.

The proud dog mom ended up raising $5,000 throughout the holiday season – more than tripling her results from the previous year.

“I was in awe,” she said. “The community really stepped up this year. I was blown away.”

Last week, Carello ended up purchasing and donating $4,000 worth of items for the Humane Society, while the remaining $1,000 covered the costs of 400 hats and treats that were given out to the kids who visited her house last month.

“I really just wanted to bring some light over the holidays, because there’s so much bad stuff going on unfortunately,” she told SooToday. “I feel very strongly about animals, and I know they can use our help.”

Among the items that Carello donated to the Humane Society were 30 giant bags of dog food, as well as other varieties of pet food, treats, carriers, cat trees, toys, litter, and collars.

“I had asked them for a list and I was able to get pretty much everything on it,” Carello said. “I got everything from Paw’n Pet Food and they were able to give me a good deal which was really nice.”

After the Humane Society extended its appreciation to Carello on social media last week, hundreds of positive reactions and comments from around the Sault and beyond have flowed in.

“I think it’s really amazing that people are noticing that it’s such a good thing for the community and the animals,” she said. “I feel quite humbled. I don’t do it to praise myself. It’s more from my heart and something I just wanted to do.”

Aiming to run the fundraiser again next year, Carello feels grateful for everyone in the Sault who stepped up to help make the giant donation a reality. 

“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone in the community for the support,” she said. “To everyone who participated and came by the house, Santa Claus and his elf for donating their time, and the businesses who donated to us. It’s very appreciated.”