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COMPASSION

The Greater Edmonton Animal Rescue Society (GEARS) was formed in 2013 to help injured, abandoned, unwanted, and homeless animals. GEARS is a non-profit organization that relies on a network of donors, volunteers and foster homes working together to give companion animals a second chance at their forever family. With high standards of practice and charitable status, GEARS sets an example in our community. Compassion motivates us to help, heal, and alleviate the pain of the animals we encounter. 

Our vision is simple: We are gearing towards a future where animals are treated with compassion and respect.

Our mission is to provide force-free compassionate care as a foster home-based animal rescue; focusing on rehabilitation and responsible rehoming.

COMMUNITY

The GEARS community started with a group of people who had shared social values centered on animal welfare. Volunteers and foster homes are the crucial links between animals in need and their warm, loving homes. The GEARS community now extends much further than our homes and neighbourhoods; it includes partner organizations, adoptive families, and Guardian Angel families.

CHANGE

GEARS strives to change all that is within our power and our power is great. Our volunteers, foster homes, fundraising, and community partners work as one. The animals we can give a second chance to change us. They bring together new families, volunteers, and donors – spreading joy and the courage to realize our vision and mission. If you’re looking for a new family member, GEARS might have one for you! Our application process is easy but thorough. We care about where our animals are going and want to give them the best chance of a successful match. We ensure all animals receive vetting including vaccinations, spays/neuter, microchip, and any other medical care they need before being cleared for adoption. GEARS is a member of the Alberta Force Free Alliance and any animal with behaviour issues will receive behaviour support before and after adoption. We also provide our adopters with a post-adoption support group so you can ask questions or share your happily ever after photos.

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Board of Directors

Karla Alsop

President
[email protected]

Lina Meadows

Vice President & Adoptions Director
[email protected]

Heather Burt

Treasurer [email protected]

Stephanie Major

Secretary & Social Media Director
[email protected]

Michelle Goodman

Medical Director
[email protected]

Kira Parish

Foster Director
[email protected]

Peggy Sobyshyn

Shelter Director
[email protected]

Chelsea Stolz

Behaviour Director
[email protected]

Lucie Dagenais

Donations Director
[email protected]

About the Board

kARLA aLSOP

Karla has been involved with GEARS since 2018, although her experience with animal rescue goes back to 2012. Karla is passionate about animal welfare with a particular interest in force free training, which was what led her to GEARS in the first place. She has held various positions on the board and is honoured to be the new President. She is looking forward to continuing to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable animals in need, advocating for animal welfare, and engaging the community. When not volunteering (or working), Karla fills her spare time with her dogs, foster dogs (and foster cats on occasion), and travelling.

lINA MEADOWS

Lina joined GEARS as a foster in 2020 after stepping up to volunteer on the adoptions teams, she moved into a bigger role serving on the board. As a social worker, her love for helping people has always gone hand-in-hand with her passion for animals. Life on her farm east of Edmonton is never dull—her animal family includes chickens, bees, sheep, pigs, ducks, a donkey, 4 rescue dogs, 3 rescue kitties, and of course, 4 barn cats. When she’s not busy with chores or making the trip into the city, Lina enjoys true crime podcasts, reading, and crafting!

Stephanie Major

Steph has been a volunteer with GEARS since 2018. She has helped in many areas including events, social media, transportation, behaviour, and fostering. After adopting one of her last fosters, Booth (previously Lyle), she decided to take more of a leadership role in the organization and joined our board in 2022. Her main role this year is social media, but she still helps out wherever she’s needed. Since becoming diagnosed with Crohn’s she’s had to slow down a little, but is still extremely passionate about helping animals. A couple of her favourite fundraisers are the Craftathon, Videogamathon, and anything to do with Fur Eh!. Her evenings are usually snuggled up with her dogs knitting something fun.

Michelle Goodman

Michelle came to us through the CAWS merger, where she made significant contributions as a member of the fundraising team and the board, overseeing many operational tasks. In August 2024, she joined our board as the Director of Volunteers. Michelle is dedicated to enhancing the community through her volunteer work, particularly by supporting animal welfare initiatives.

With over 15 years of experience in the provincial education sector, Michelle has held a range of roles. She enjoys crafting, building puzzles, and is passionate about encouraging others who share her commitment to animal welfare.

Michelle resides on the southside of Edmonton with her rescue dog, Harlow (her first CAWS foster), and her 16-year-old cat, Molly.

Heather Burt

Heather has been involved with the Greater Edmonton Animal Rescue Society since 2016, in a variety of roles, including events participant, adoptions and fosters.  She is now looking to combine her professional experience with her passion for supporting animals in need, by stepping into the Treasurer role. She has always valued the important role that animal rescue organizations play in the community and is proud to contribute her skills to help GEARS continue its work.
 
Heather is honoured to be part of the GEARS board and looks forward to continuing to support the organization and help make a difference in the lives of animals in need. Outside of work and volunteering, she enjoys family life, spending time with her husband and children at their cabin, travelling, and tap dancing. 

Kira PArish

Kira joined GEARS in January 2025 as a member of the foster team, where she quickly became involved in helping animals come into care and find the right foster homes. What started as a desire to do more for animals in need soon grew into a passion for rescue and for being part of the journey that helps vulnerable animals find their forever families.

Passionate about animal welfare, Kira has always wanted to give back to the organizations that work tirelessly to support vulnerable animals. As a pet parent to two rescue dogs and two cats, she has seen firsthand the impact that rescue organizations and dedicated foster families can have on an animal’s life. She is especially passionate about helping animals transition into care and ensuring they are placed in foster homes where they can feel safe, supported, and loved.

Kira is honoured to join the GEARS Board of Directors and looks forward to continuing to make a positive difference in the lives of animals while supporting the foster team, the GEARS community, and the families who open their hearts and homes to rescue animals. When she’s not volunteering, Kira can be found spending time with her four pets and enjoying time with her family’s pets as well.

Peggy Sobchyshyn

Peggy began volunteering with GEARS in 2022, when the cat shelter first opened. Peggy was integral in supporting the cat shelter when it first opened. She continues to provide daily cat care at the shelter, helps train new shelter volunteers,  and transports shelter cats to the vet as needed. Peggy also assists with supply days, donation pickups, and meeting foster homes for supplies. 

Peggy decided to take the leap into the Shelter Board Position, which has been vacant for a little while and we couldn’t be happier to have her experience in this role! In addition to her love of cats,  Peggy is also the proud owner of two greyhounds and enjoys travelling in her free time.

Chelsea Stolz

Chelsea has over seven years of professional experience working with animals, with a background in dog training, grooming, behaviour, rescue, fostering, rehabilitation, and lost-dog recovery. She has worked extensively with fearful, reactive, undersocialized, and challenging dogs, and has a particular passion for helping the ones who are often misunderstood. Outside of work, Chelsea is rarely without animals around her and shares her life with dogs, horses, and her very opinionated parrot. She believes behaviour is communication and that every animal deserves patience, understanding, and a chance to succeed.

Lucie Dagenais

Lucie joined GEARS in 2026, after years of volunteering at AARCS. She immediately fit right in, helping out with various areas including medical, donations, and volunteer onboarding. With 40+ years in administration and data stewardship, she is an expert at handling logistics and getting things done. As a lifelong animal lover and advocate, she has stepped up to the role of Director of Donations.

In her spare time, Lucie enjoys knitting and playing with her resident animals: her dog Luna (Blue Heeler) and AARCS adopted cat Celeste (Domestic Short Hair).

Get In touch

If you are looking to volunteer, foster, owner surrender, adopt or Intake Appointment Request – Strathcona County please click the links for the appropriate form. Please read our FAQ below before submitting your message. Our rescue is run by volunteers, so please be patient as a response may take up to 72 hours.

PO Box 69013 Skyview, Edmonton, AB, T6V1G7

Please note that we are volunteer-run and foster home based, so we do not have a physical address. If you need further assistance, please use our contact form.

[email protected]

Please email or complete form to contact us

Please note that we are volunteer-run, and do not have the resources to manage a public phone line. Please fill out our contact form or surrender form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Charity number

822791430RR0001

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

Thank you for reaching out to us to help you rehome your animal! Our form is hosted by Google Drive – please sign in with your email or create an account to access the form. This is a security setting created by Google, as we request a file upload of a image of your animal 🙂  

Hi there, thank you for thinking of us! Please email [email protected] and our donations director will be happy to help you.

You will receive a link with your order confirmation email titled “Your Greater Edmonton Animal Rescue Society order is now complete” to choose a location and schedule your pickup. Please search for this email in your inbox and spam folder before contacting us for support.

After you click the link and select a pickup time, you will be able to choose your pickup area. You will receive the full address in an email after completing the Calendly booking.

You will receive a confirmation email titled “Your Greater Edmonton Animal Rescue Society order is now complete” when your order is available. Please ensure you check your spam folder if you do not see this email. Please wait to receive this email – if this email has not been sent out, we do not have ice melt in stock and do not have an estimated time. Please note it may take up to 2 weeks for our palettes to arrive.

All cats/dogs found within the city limits must go through the Animal Care & Control Centre. You can contact them by dialing 311 or learn more here: edmonton.ca/scheduledintake

You can also try to find the animal’s owner by using Edmonton Lost & Found Pets Search:

https://edmontonacccpets.shelterbuddy.com/

Please fill out the surrender form found on our website and our Intake Director will reply if we have available space. You must sign in or create an account to submit the form. Google Forms has a security rules for uploading an image of your animal to the form.

If our product listing says out of stock, we do not have an approximate date of when we will have a new palette in.

Please enter your email here and we will send a notification when we have ice melt availabilty. We are unable to reply to any email requests for ice melt.

We are unable to change CanadaHelps donations from our end. Please follow this link for instructions on how to access your account dashboard and make edits to your donations.

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Our foster home applications are currently on hold.

Please check back later or follow us on Facebook for updates!

DOG SHIRT SIZE CHART

Dog shirt size chart

softstyle racerback tank

softstyle t-shirt

DONATE

We can issue tax receipts for cash donations equal or greater than $20! Our charity number is 822791430RR0001.

Ways to donate

By cheque:
P.O. Box 69013 Skyview
Edmonton, AB
T6V 1G7

donate with PayPal
The ATB Cares program matches donations by 15% and will issue a tax receipt on our behalf! Click here to donate through ATB Cares!
 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!