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Shelburne Free Press https://shelburnefreepress.ca/?p=11373 Export date: Sun Nov 24 12:10:42 2024 / +0000 GMT |
Cat Lake First Nation saves their dogs Dear editor: In this season of giving the people of Cat Lake made the humane decision of requesting a removal of 18 dogs from their community that were homeless or that families were unable to look after. Isolated First Nations communities generally have no options when the animal population comes to be at an unsafe level but to destroy the excess dogs. Cat Lake Chief and Council and their community members have participated in a program for neuter/spay, immunization, parasite control and animal welfare education for the past 12 years offered by the not-for-profit group Cat Lake Friends of Animush. Even with that program at times the dog population can come to be at an unsafe level. To do a rescue of dogs from a community that is accessible by air only is an adventure! It is an adventure that could never have happened without the kindness of many people starting with the decision of the community members themselves. They made a list of the dogs to be removed and sent the pictures and information out to Friends of Animush so foster or adoptive homes could be organized ahead of time. Companies with big hearts provided, through in-kind donations, transportation. Philanthropy was alive and well in late November when Gardewine Transport sent all the necessary crates from Mississauga to Sioux Lookout. North Star Air/Cargo North provided transport for two Friends of Animush team members from Thunder Bay to Sioux Lookout and on to Cat Lake with all the crates and equipment required for the rescue. Nishnabe Aski Police allowed the dogs to be housed in their garage awaiting return transport and volunteers from the community collected, fed, walked and visited with the dogs until they were transported out to the airport where again North Star Air/Cargo North angels came to fly the dogs and team members to Sioux Lookout. What a plane load that was! The pilots were amazed at the quiet behaviour of the dogs and how easy they were to transport. That is a northern dog! Well socialized and just loving to be loved. On arrival in Sioux Lookout there was a team of volunteers from the Sioux Lookout committee of the Second Chance Pet Network waiting to take the dogs out of the crates, walk them, give them water and snuggles. These great folks then re-crated and loaded the dogs onto the cargo van assisted by the driver whose services and the van were supplied by Grand River Enterprises out of Blind River. The next part of the adventure was the long road trip to Blind River. You would never have known that these dogs may never have been in a van let alone a plane! They were so patient and well behaved. They never asked once when would we be there! During an overnight rest at a friend of both the dogs and the people two of the dogs found their forever homes. One dog was adopted by the driver who had been making doggy friends along the way and the other with the provider of the van. These folks had been waiting for a dog to come into their life and as eyes met in a Blind River garage love happened! Another day, another wonderful new volunteer driver, another truck this time donated by Robertson Landscaping of Mount Forest, and we were home to our home base in Southwestern Ontario to be met by people awaiting their dogs. Within a week there were five puppies in foster, one pregnant momma in foster, four more adult dogs in foster with two of those considering adoption, and nine adopted to forever homes. It is all good news! The dogs are happy and safe, the people have won the 649 with the most wonderful dogs imaginable, and Cat Lake Friends of Animush is thankful that through the kindness of all involved this adventure was a success. Cat Lake First Nation has shown that the people and their representatives have made a humane and responsible decision in initiating this removal of its excess dogs. We are all thankful to them for allowing us the opportunity and look forward to continuing to reach for our mutual goals of providing ongoing humane animal welfare services together. There is great kindness in people and hope in the world. In this season of giving and a new year beginning many will give and many will receive. I for one am thankful. Ann Babey, co-director Cat Lake Friends of Animush  
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Post date: 2015-01-07 19:08:34 Post date GMT: 2015-01-08 00:08:34 Post modified date: 2015-01-14 13:40:26 Post modified date GMT: 2015-01-14 18:40:26 |
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