Meet the local dog lover who has done so much for animals

Kelowna's Ken "Bubba" Coles is an unwavering animal lover.

His annual golf tournament, the Bubba Open, recently completed its 13th successful year, with total fundraising close to $100,000 over the years.

“The community here is so great, there are so many animal lovers here, almost 90 per cent of people actually hopped right on it and said, ‘sure, we'll help you out with something or play in the tournament'", Coles told Kelowna10, dressed, appropriately in his 'DogFather' t-shirt.

“The first year we had 35 people, this year there were 148 golfers. On average we’ve raised about $10,000 to $14,000 and we raised $10,000 more than last year.”

This year's tournament proved to be a resounding success, with an impressive $24,000 in contributions, with $16,000 allocated to Paws it Forward and an additional $8,000 to AlleyCATS Alliance.

Coles’ dedication and spirit has stood the test of time.

“I love dogs, I’m a big animal lover, and I want to make sure it was something for the community,” he said. “Paws it Forward and AlleyCATS do amazing things. They bring in dogs and build families.”

Angela Block, the Small Events Coordinator at Paws it Forward, expressed profound gratitude for Bubba's support. She highlighted their organization relies solely on donations and the community has also rallied behind the cause, with numerous individuals eager to lend a helping hand.

“He’s been doing this for a very long time, so he is one of our biggest fundraisers and people reach out all the time, ‘how can we help?’,” she said. “Everyone who works with Paws It Forward is a volunteer, all the fosters are volunteers, all the food, everything's donated.”

You can donate to Paws it Forward or AlleyCATS Alliance online.