The Swan Valley Animal Protection League (SVAPL) has some incredible people who go above and beyond the call of duty to rescue, care for and most importantly, love animals that have been either surrendered or abandoned. One of these remarkable people is Dan Grazier. If you know Grazier, you know he is a true animal lover and has dedicated many hours to the shelter.
“Pets are great companions,” said Grazier. “They are always there for you with a wagging tail and a wet nose. They don’t ask for much and offer unconditional love in return.
“When we can save an animal from an unfortunate situation or circumstance, and offer them safety, love and hope, you can tell they understand and appreciate it. Once we put in the work, time and effort to get them to trust people again, you can tell they are ready to begin the next chapter of their lives with their new forever families.”
Many pet lovers are either a dog or a cat person. Grazier loves all animals, but he has a favourite type.
“I grew up a dog lover, but as I grew older, cats seemed more aligned with my personality,” said Grazier. “I’ve got three of my own at home: Dagger, Dart and Dash. We are the DA Gang. In addition to that, we have nearly 50 cats and kittens at the shelter that I consider my unofficial children as well.”
Grazier started getting involved with SVAPL by watching his father help out the organization. Between the love of animals and being able to use his skill set for volunteering, it became a natural thing for him to do.
“My company, Grazier Custom Manufacturing, has built things for the SVAPL for a number of years, and my late father Cliff was always very happy to help them out,” said Grazier. “I started by just bringing food and donations to the shelter. I saw that the volunteer base was extremely female-heavy. I noticed things that could be helped with my skill set.
“We started by building and donating catios that give the cats access to the outside, fresh air, bird watching etc. It’s grown to now have three different catios, catwalks, pedestals, wall crates, and bridges. A real cat paradise. It’s become a very unique place in the world of animal rescue.
“We have worked hard to create a wonderful and fun, stress-free, comforting atmosphere for the animals to enjoy as they wait to meet their new families,” said Grazier. “Many shelters cannot do this, and lots of times the animals are confined to smaller individual cages, which is the unfortunate reality. We are doing our absolute best to try to maximize the space for them.
“I also use the time there as my form of therapy. I dealt with some pretty tough times after my father passed away, and this has given me something positive to channel my energy towards. I’ve become very attached to every animal in our care and know every one of their names.”
Grazier has seen the Swan Valley come together and help out the SVAPL. People are more than willing to help the shelter provide quality care for those animals until they find their forever homes.
“We have some amazing sponsors in this community, and are very lucky that they are big animal lovers,” said Grazier. “The big one I can think of this past year was the Swan River Kinsmen Club, which I am also a member of and recently elected the Vice-President. They voted to fund the Kinsmen Kennel, a functional dog run behind our facility, so we will be able to handle dogs that come into our care as well. We are almost near completion.
“Before this, we could only take in dogs if a foster home could be arranged. This will give us a few more options in case of emergencies. That is just the start of the amazing group of sponsors that we have. Come to the shelter and look at the huge list on the wall sometime and see for yourself. “
Grazier has seen the shelter expand over the years in terms of space and features, as well as in need and animals that need homes.
“The shelter has evolved over the past few years, growing from a few rooms with cat trees, to an amazing playland with items and features changing and being added constantly,” said Grazier. “The number of animals coming in never seems to decrease, especially coming into the winter months when animals are seeking shelter. We are always operating at or beyond our capacity when it comes to felines.
“We have been lucky to be able to have dedicated foster homes for the dogs currently in our care. Near 50 cats and eight to 10 dogs are currently in our care and foster homes. We have an unbelievably dedicated, caring and compassionate group of volunteers who never let a day go by without all chores being done, every animal fed and cared for. They are the real unsung heroes of our shelter, and the place would not run without them. I am so proud of them for their work every day.”
Grazier has been part of a few comedic fundraising campaigns to help bring much-needed dollars to the SVAPL. Usually, he finds humour not only the best medicine but a good way to engage with people when it comes to fundraising.
“The ladies and I like to have an unofficial, good-spirited competition when it comes to selling tickets,” said Grazier. “We always have some amazing prizes and a large 50/50 draw for our Spring banquet, which is coming up on March 22, so the more eyes we get on the draws and our event the better.
“The more ridiculous the posts we make, the more engagement and sales for these tickets. The real winners in the end are the animals, and deep down, I have the utmost respect for my fellow sales competitors... but mostly because they know I am going to win.
“They also talked me into doing a 2025 fundraising cash calendar featuring myself this year,” said Grazier. “It sold out all 250 copies very quickly, becoming one of our best fundraisers to date. It’s not what I would choose to hang up in my house to look at every day but to each their own. I have somewhat leaned into the role of being one of the faces of the shelter. I can certainly be a character, and anything that brings eyes to our adoptable friends and our shelter is a good thing. I decided to go with the flow while people still find it entertaining. Strike while the iron is hot, as they say in my industry.”
The list of needs is never-ending for the shelter. Whether it be food or money, both go to good use.
“As you can imagine, food is always the highest in demand,” said Grazier. “The animal’s mouths never stop, so we are constantly going through food. If you have one or two animals at home that you feed, you can imagine the volume that 50 cats and 10 dogs would require per day.
“People have been so generous to us with their donations. We even have a bin for donations at the Co-op, and an Amazon wish list for those out-of-towners. Donations can always be dropped off directly at the shelter as well, or we can arrange a pickup.
“Alternatively, money is always useful to help with our monthly bills, supplies or whichever food or treats we are requiring that month,” said Grazier. “Any cash donations over $25 are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.
“Our next major project is installing another window in one of the cat rooms. Grazier Manufacturing will donate a fourth catio once it is installed, but we could always use the money for that or things such as these that pop up.”
Grazier does a lot around the shelter to help out, from building things to bottle feeding. He encourages people in the Valley to give in any capacity they can, whether it be through donating or volunteering.
“I assist directly with the animals quite often, helping to administer vaccines and medications; take weights; give baths, that’s always fun; bottle feed; play with the cats to help socialize them; comforting cats that are new and scared or feeling under the weather and giving them some company while they are in the quarantine section,” said Grazier. “I try to stay useful, from lifting heavy things to building and fixing, right down to cleaning the gunk out of the cat’s eyes.
“I’m working hard to try to break misconceptions that men can’t be involved with animal rescue. You can be young and male and also have compassion for animals. Caring for animals is cool, and I can always use more guys’ help because I am definitely outnumbered.”
“If people are looking to help us out, we are always looking for donations of either cash or supplies,” said Grazier. “If you are unsure what to buy or what we need, I would encourage you to send a message to the SVAPL Facebook page. We would be able to tell you in real time what we are in most need of.
“If you are interested in volunteering, also contact us through the page or email us through our website at SVAPL.ca. Visit our site to see current animals looking for a new home if you are considering one. Fill out an application. Book a meeting with the cats and see which one speaks to you. Support us. Come to our events. We are an entirely volunteer-run non-profit organization kept alive by a group of people with big hearts and I’m very honoured to call them all my friends. And also, as one of my heroes always said, ‘Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.’ RIP Bob.”

The Sam Waller Museum is hosting a new exhibit in the Susan McCharles Gallery. Residual Effects by Crystal Thorburn is now on display until May 20, 2025. Thorburn’s work is part of the Manitoba Arts Network’s Visual Arts Touring Exhibition. This thought-provoking show invites visitors to reflect on themes of responsibility and resilience through evocative artwork.
Thorburn grew up in the Saskatchewan Prairies, which has greatly influenced much of her artwork today.
“After many years living in Melville, Saskatchewan, my husband and I moved back to the farm that has been in our family for 116 years in southern Saskatchewan,” said Thorburn. “This new lifestyle has brought out a keen awareness of various elements of the seasons on the prairies in southern Saskatchewan. We follow a regenerative farming practice and produce organic grains.

When it comes to generosity and caring, the people in the Valley are top-notch in those two categories. There have been many charitable causes that people have raised funds for on a local level that have been a tremendous success. Bowsman School student Letti Zwarich, daughter of Darcy and Chelsea Zwarich, donated her hair in a braid to Angel Hair for Kids.
Angel Hair for Kids is a special program that provides wigs and hair loss solutions to financially disadvantaged children in Canada who lost their hair due to a medical condition or treatment. Letti felt that this was a good charity to support and help other kids.
“Letti was wanting a haircut, quite short, so I mentioned that maybe if she was cutting it all off she could donate it,” said Chelsea Zwarich. “ This opened the door for discussion. We did some research together and she knew instantly that was what she wanted to do.
“My friend’s daughters had donated their hair in the past, so I reached out to her to inquire which organization they had chosen and why. We decided to support this specific organization because it is for children, and each recipient gets a personal appointment at a salon specializing in wigs and hair loss to make it their own. Letti thought that was really fun and special!
“This is the first time she has done this,” said Chelsea. “She’s always had long hair. Letti donated a total of 13 inches; the required length for this organization is 12 inches. Her hair was about 24 inches long before the cut.”
“It feels good to know that I could help another kid get a wig and feel good about themselves,” said Letti.
Many of the staff and students at Bowsman School pooled donations for Loonies for Letti and a total of $387 was collected just at the school. Other community members also responded by giving donations to the worthy cause.
“A total of $1,500 was raised between friends, family, the school and community members,” said Chelsea. “ There were several online donations as well that were made, but we were not notified of the amount of those donations, just that they were given. The money sent along with the hair will go towards making a wig. It takes $2,500 to make just one.
“The support has been far more than anticipated. Friends, family, community members, staff and students from Bowsman School have made some really generous donations. We certainly didn’t expect it to reach this many people, but we’re always amazed at how the community, our family and friends come through!
“We mailed the hair and donations on Friday, March 7, that being the final day for donations,” said Chelsea.
This was such a wonderful experience for Letti and having the community support her in this cause has left an impact on her. She is planning on doing this again.
“Letti would absolutely do this again,” said Chelsea. “She’s already decided as soon as her hair is long enough, she wants to do it again.”