TIMMINS - A stylish fundraiser has gone above and beyond the wildest dreams of its organizer.
Wizard of Paws raised $2,800 at its first Scarf Day on Tuesday (Feb. 28).
The money will be used to repair the front window, which was broken during an overnight shooting in December 2024. The remaining $800 will be donated to the Timmins dog park.
“We can’t use the window. That is one of the areas where we hold the dogs for pickup,” said owner Stephanie McCoshen. “We are going to donate it to the dog park. They’re due for some upgrades.”
To raise the money, McCoshen’s mom and aunt worked day and night making 200 scarves for dogs. They were sold for $10, with online donations also being accepted.
Before the event started, half of the money had already been raised.
“We had donations pouring in from customers and friends. I had friends in Yellowknife, where I’m from, who sent me donations,” she said. “I cried a lot that first day when they started. I just couldn’t believe it!”
Wizard of Paws is a pet grooming service located at 220 Third Ave. It is a cage-free facility that can accommodate breed trims, senior pets, puppies, compromised behaviour, health issues, or disabilities.
The event was so successful that there are plans for another Scarf Day next year.
“Next year’s fundraiser remains to be seen, but we will definitely be doing Scarf Day annually,” she said. “There will be dogs in scarves for sure.”
While she wasn’t totally comfortable with fundraising for her business, she said it was a necessary step.
“I really questioned if I wanted to hold a fundraiser for myself. It can be constructed as greedy by people, and that was definitely not the intention,” she said. “We are a small business, and everything went up in October and again in January. It just became a necessity.”
The fundraiser means McCoshen won’t have to raise prices to pay for the broken window.
“Being able to fundraise this money has allowed me to keep my prices down for my customers,” she said. “Nobody wants to pay more.”