Thinking of Dogs During the Holidays - Continuing Northern Dogs Effort

The following report is coming from Jan Hannah, Project Manager of IFAW's "Northern Dogs" initiative, which centers its work on the dogs living in remote impoverished communities of northern Canada.

We are knee deep in the holiday season which means that planning has begun for the next Northern Dogs visit to northern Quebec. I have sent out letters to each community contact addressing some changes that I hope we can implement in the next set of clinics and another dog data sheet which is intended to help us understand the flux in dog populations. But holiday time also has repercussions for the dogs. Winter has set in and the temperature is dropping, puppies are now weaned and roaming the streets looking for food and shelter, and while the dogs are looking for their needs to be met, it’s a busy time for people who may not think to provide for them. I have been contacted by one community member who says there are so many pups on the street. She asked if IFAW could again help by meeting her in Montreal to take and rehome eight pups in need. Because of her ongoing work in rescue, it is definitely time for her to begin to make contacts in the Montreal area, both for rehoming and for transport. This way, she can create a system that meets her needs and is sustainable from her end. I sent her contact information for numerous Montreal-based groups and also had a helping hand from Nik Gour of Humane Society International - Canada who is well connected in the Montreal area as well. The pups arrived on Sunday and were distributed to different groups for adoption or transport to other rescues. There are so many committed groups and volunteers working on different facets of dog rescue and rehoming across Canada that you just have to hook into the network to benefit and to help others.

On the wind down towards holiday time, I put out one final advertisement in the community magazine to remind people that dogs need us. They depend on us for food, water, and shelter, and if they are contained, they also need exercise and socialization. While many people think that roaming dogs are living independently of us, they actually aren’t. Whether owned or unowned, roaming dogs still get their food from people’s garbage, from the dump or from the bowls of other animals, they will sleep under a porch or seek shelter around the side of a building, and most will still seek human companionship. So don’t forget the dogs who might very well live in your neighbourhood and need your help. Remind people that dogs are depending on us to meet their needs. The Northern Dogs Project will continue to work with northern communities to meet the needs of their dogs!

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Comments

[usb hub]

It is really good initiative to have for unowned dogs. I hope others will also take an example from it and work for it.

[Grakik Reaction]

This is definately the way forward, Hopefully more people will get the message.

[Jennifer]

Thank you for this wonderful initiative. This world needs more people like you. I wish I could adopt all unowned dogs.