Meadow Lake woman raises $6.5K sleeping at Humane Society

A Meadow Lake woman who gave up the comfort of her own bed last week to sleep at the local animal shelter has reached her fundraising goal. 

Jillian Doucet, president of the Meadow Lake Humane Society, had planned to sleep in a kennel at until she raised $5,000, but donations just kept coming in. 

"We're sitting at just over $6,500 now," Doucet told CBC News. "The support has been overwhelming...we've had donations from coast to coast all across Canada." 

Doucet said students from the local elementary school also brought in donations — some emptying out their piggy banks. 

The goal had been reached by Friday, but Doucet chose to spend one more night in the shelter because she had not had the chance to bunk with two of the dogs. 

"I doubled up on Friday night and I stayed with a dog named Knight and one named Princess."

By the end of the her experience Saturday morning, Doucet said she had become attached to the animals, but it was one dog named Lady that stole her heart. 

Doucet was having a hard time one night, fighting a chest infection and being away from home, and she started to cry. 

"Lady comes up to me and licks my face and just plops down on my lap and she's just like 'Oh it's okay,'" Doucet explained. 

"It's really amazing because a lot of these dogs, people have turned their backs on them and they're still capable of forgiveness and unconditional love."