Local Woman Leaves $741,000 Toward Peterborough's New Animal Care Centre
/A Peterborough-area woman, Cynthia (Cyndy) Richards, has left a generous estate gift of $741,000 to the Peterborough Humane Society. The donation will be used towards Our Pet Project, the building campaign for the Humane Society’s new Animal Care Centre.
Richards grew up in Peterborough. She spent most of her life working as an X-ray technician, working briefly in Toronto before leaving for Edmonton, Alberta where she lived for most of her career. Living primarily in the country, Richards owned both horses and cats. In 2000, she returned to her family home in Peterborough, bringing both her two horses and cats with her. All of her cats were rescues.
Photo of Cynthia (Cyndy) Richards courtesy Peterborough Humane Society
“Her whole life she had a deep love for animals,” says Pat de Villiers, a long-time friend and Richards’ power of attorney.
Richards was an avid volunteer at the Peterborough Humane Society. "She would come into the shelter, take her coat off, say hi to everyone before starting her day and then she would spend all her time with the cats,” says PHS Animal Care employee, Susan Lashmar, who has worked at the shelter since 2002. “She’d snuggle them, help groom them and loved every minute of it. She would come in as often as she could".
Rendering of new Animal Care Centre courtesy Peterborough Humane Society
